


It's Normal When They're Abnormal

by usahitsu



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Drabble, F/M, Genderbending, Heteronormativity, M/M, Multi, Parents!showki, Temporary Character Death, goblin!hyungwon, grim reaper wonho, hybrid!kihyun, hybrid!minhyuk, jookyun are siblings, kihyuk are best friends, kihyun and yeojoo are the same person, like heavy heteronormativity ngl, minhyuk is a little shit but he's kihyun's little shit, vampire!shownu, werewolf!changkyun, would internalised homophobia count? that's why there's the heavy heteronormativity tho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2019-08-22 04:40:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16590995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/usahitsu/pseuds/usahitsu
Summary: an au in whichshowki have a gold star in parentingjookyun show their love to their parents by being weird and breaking rulesminhyuk is an opportunist in love with prankshoseok's a grim reaper who puts wang yeo to shameand hyungwon's a goblin who finds kim shin annoying.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> basically a bunch of unbeta'ed short stories. mine never gets proofread or edited i'm sorry y'all have to deal with my spontaneous writing that i did on a whim and a burnout ( which is never good, by the way. quality is important folks) i just had this in my mind for a really long while now?

“Kyun, spit it out.”

The werewolf whimpers but doesn’t give in.

“Baby, take it out of your mouth now.” Kihyun orders sternly. He shoots a glare at the child who’s in his wolf form, teeth gnawing on Hyunwoo’s dumbbell.

Changkyun shakes his head, the dumbbell along with as if it didn’t weigh three times his own mass.

It’s shiny and doesn’t burst like his other toys! Hurts a little bit when he does chew but it’s so fun! Why doesn’t his Eomma get that?

The man groans. He tries his best to raise his kids right yet they always end up questionable situations once he takes his eyes off them.

Kihyun suspects Minhyuk has a hand in it.

The man tries again.

He approaches the cub slowly, hand reaching Changkyun’s snout and under it. “Kyun, do you want me to spank you?” Kihyun let his voice go deeper, leaving his words as an option his baby should consider if he continues to disobey.

The cub gives out a whine and Kihyun takes it as a ‘no’. Good, he doesn’t have to make Changkyun cry.

Changkyun slackens his lower jaw and the dumbbell rolls out onto Kihyun’s palm, drenching his hand in thick amounts of saliva. It used to be gross for the hybrid but he grew used to it over the years so all he feels is amusement at how his son could carry that much weight in his mouth alone.

Hyunwoo’s a gym bat ( “Get it? Because he’s a vampire!” Minhyuk exclaimed when he first called him so) so his equipment would always weigh more than the furniture they have in their house.

But Kihyun guesses it’s Changkyun’s wolf at fault. He doubts that the baby can do the same if he goes back to his human form.

He embraces Changkyun in a tight hold before wiping drool off the equipment with a kitchen towel then tosses the used paper into a rubbish bin. The wolf’s got his eye locked onto it and wants to chase after the crumpled tissue but fails to free himself from his mum’s arms.

The cub’s ears droop and Kihyun does his best to not look at his baby’s eyes damn well knowing Changkyun’s got his puppy eyes on and probabky some cheap waterworks.

Jooheon was never this active when he was Changkyun’s age but Kihyun supposes it’s because he spends most of his time outside in the field basking under the Sun and enjoying Mother Nature’s gift.

Changkyun on the other hand just pees on trees if he’s in his wolf form whenever he’s outside.

(This, he knows it’s Minhyuk’s fault. Hyunwoo and Hyungwon probably enable him thinking it’s funny when it’s not. No one wants to go out to tend to your flowers, use it as a mummy-baby bonding time but it ends up a catastrophe because your baby’s piss reeks and there’s holes dug everywhere.)

Changkyun finally stops and relents, deciding that Eomma won’t fall for it this time.

Dang it, if only Appa was the one who found him.

Kihyun doesn’t move from his spot on the floor but he wipes Changkyun’s snout, nagging at the boy for taking his Appa’s workout equipment and chewing on them as if they didn’t cost a dime.

Hyunwoo comes into the room a few minutes later with a clean set of clothes that matches Changkyun’s figure. He figured that if his kid is missing and so is one of his things is as well, then it’s probably the baby trying to find new things to play with.

He doesn’t question how Changkyun manages to go through the locked gym door. It’s probably some werewolf thing.

“Ah, jagi!” Kihyun exclaims. Changkyun looks up and sees his big Appa and starts barking. His tail wags and though he hasn’t changed into his human form, Hyunwoo can tell that Changkyun’s sticking out his arms for him to carry.

The vampire chuckles. “Kyun-ah, you have to change first.”

The cub sulks but gives in anyway.

Kihyun loosens his hold so the baby could have some space for him to turn and Hyunwoo hands over a set of small cute clothes to his spouse.

Changkyun’s still green when it comes to transformations even though he’s two years old. It used to take him a few hours to transition from any form but recently with Minhyuk and Hoseok’s help, those hours went down to a few minutes.

The thick brown fur on the cub’s skin turns to fine body hair, the sharp fluffy ears shape themselves into rounded human ones. Changkyun’s snout shortened and his body structures itself to that of a human baby, one that his parents and brother are overly familiar with.

Kihyun hums when the last part of the transition finally ends and giggles when Changkyun shivers from the cold. “Up, baby” he instructs and the child raises his hand so his Eomma could slide the shirt down his torso. Once that’s done, he lifts his left leg up for Kihyun to slide his shorts and then the other to do the same. He wiggles a bit when his Eomma tries to fit his shorts to his waist and when he’s successful, Changkyun lets out a cute chuckle.

The werecub waddles to his Appa and tugs at the man’s legs. Hyunwoo picks him up in one smooth swipe then cradles him by the hip effortlessly. Changkyun thanks his Appa by biting into the vampire’s flesh, gnawing on his arm like it’s an acceptable form of gratitude.

Kihyun lets out a loud whistle, enamoured by how big his husband is. It never ceases to amaze him that the vampire’s twice his size. It’s made even more obvious when Changkyun, their youngest who’s sized average for an Alpha cub, is in those big arms. Kihyun has known Hyunwoo for centuries and yet he’s never bored staring and ogling at those muscles.

“Ya, stop looking, it’s embarrassing,” Hyunwoo laughs a bit. The tip of his ear turns red from embarrassment and Changkyun points at it. “Yes I know it’s red and no, it’s not for you to bite,” the vampire scolds.

Kihyun crosses his arms and the child grins sheepishly. “How did you get in there, Kyun?” Kihyun demands.

“Heonie-hyung gave me the key.”

“How did he get the key?”

“Appa gave it to him!Told him to go play!” Changkyun exclaims excitedly.

Kihyun scowls.

Come to think of it, Hyunwoo remembers trying to look for the keys to the gym (but he couldn’t, which was why the bedroom stinks of sweat) but found only the keys to the playroom.

“Is that so?” the hybrid faces his husband with a dangerous smile Hyunwoo’s come to fear to.

“Yep!” the baby innocently confirms.

Hyunwoo internally curses at how Changkyun’s a mummy’s boy, at how he should’ve bonded more with the cub so he wouldn’t throw his Appa under the bus. But at least Jooheon won’t sell him out like that.

When Minhyuk comes over hours later, the older wolf laughs at the bruise Hyunwoo has on his forehead, so obvious that Kihyun’s divine finger-flicks became the punishment he came to dread.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hyungwon is a dutiful uncle but a bitter goblin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is way too soon but i guess when you're stressed and in need of a relief, that stress can be your power generator LOL
> 
> it's also... twice the length i originally wanted it to be considering these are all... supposed to be short...
> 
> but here you go, baby jookyun with uncle hyungwon (﹡ˆ﹀ˆ﹡)

Hyungwon understands that Goblin’s a popular show. A worldwide tear jerking phenomenon with brilliant writing and stunning visuals. He’s not that petty to think of the show anything short of a masterpiece.

He just dislikes it when Kim Shin is seen as an ideal goblin and Hyungwon could never reach that level of expectations. Why should he spend his days actively watching over humans when he could sleep and come whenever he’s needed? There are so many shows to watch on TV that he needs to catch up on anyway.

It’s not that the goblin’s heartless. It’s just that Hyungwon wants to be himself, not the real life Kim Shin.

That’s what he tells himself all the time yet Hyungwon’s weak to his own resolve.

Case in point : the two kids jumping onto his body, stirring him awake from his slumber.

He figures that it’s Yeojoo’s fault for being a parent who’s actively playing with her children but Hyunwoo’s a dad on the weekends even if it’s just Monday and the weekday blues are ineffective to the vampire. Somehow, Jooheon’s gotten Yeojoo’s trait of being a brat at times and Changkyun’s stark naked on him, courtesy of Hyunwoo’s habit of walking around the place half-naked.

“Samchon!!! Wake up!!! It’s time to play!” Jooheon screams into the goblin’s ear deafening the man and Hyungwon has to remind himself that he loves the boy dearly. Jooheon’s dressed in what Yeojoo dubbed his playtime overalls, a different set of clothing than the one Hyungwon put him in for his afternoon nap.

He looks at the naked baby happily drooling on the leather sofa and grabbing at his shirt with impatient fists. Changkyun lets out a few garbles that Hyungwon assumes is baby talk for play time.

“Jooheon, why didn’t you dress Changkyun?” he gets up, carefully sitting the baby on his lap as Jooheon finds his way onto the furniture, plopping himself at Hyungwon’s side.

“He didn’t want to be dressed,” Jooheon explains as if it was a reasonable answer. “Said he wants to be like Appa!” the nymph exclaims gleefully and the baby claps his hands in affirmation.

Hyungwon desperately wants to use his powers to grant himself a wish for Hyunwoo to learn the meaning of decency but the goblin’s not ready to face the consequences of the violation for whatever rule the gods set for his kind. He can’t rely on Yeojoo either despite both claiming to be conservative – he knows very well that the hybrid enjoys her husband’s muscles on full display.

The pervert.

He heaves a sigh then with a single hand motion, he levitates the two boys up into the air clouded by the traces of his ruby aura. The children giggles at the floating sensation and flails their limbs as much as they can.

“Kim Shin float! Kim Shin float! Make marshmallows fall from the sky! Samchon, you’re a goblin! If Kim Shin was here, he’d do it! Samchon, now!” Jooheon yells as they went up the stairs. Hyungwon rolls his eyes and tunes him out. But his detest for Kim Shin grows.

Well, sorry kid but he’s Chae Hyungwon. A real goblin unlike that fictional and fake-ass Kim Shin, a fiction and a romanticised fantasy.

Hyungwon brings them into the nursery on the upper floor and they’re greeted by a pastel blue room that reminds him of a spring sky. Toys are scattered all over the floor covered in PVC mats and Hyungwon watches his steps so as to not step on the legos Jooheon threw around before nap time.

If they were this messy when Hyungwon, the least playful uncle they’ve got then he doesn’t want to imagine how they’re like with Minhyuk.

The man walks over to the white dresser at the end of the room in between Jooheon’s small bed and Changkyun’s crib. He lifts Changkyun into the crib then Jooheon onto his bed with soft landings. “Don’t move, okay? I’m taking Kyun’s clothes out,” he informs.

Jooheon pouts, his plump lips jutting out as they always did when he’s sulking. Changkyun doesn’t understand what his uncle just said, but he giggles loudly anyway. He’s a weird baby, but then again all babies are easily entertained.

Hyungwon pulls out a onesie that he’s overly familiar with. After all, Hoseok got it as a gift for the werecub but it seems funny to him since the onesie’s a wolf but Changkyun can easily bring out his own sharp furry ears with no problem.

He’s about to put on the clothes on the baby but remembers the kid’s butt naked then hurries for a diaper Yeojoo has to put somewhere.

Why is it that mothers always put it somewhere you can’t find?

He struggles for a bit before Jooheon has a hint of what he’s looking for. “Samchon! It’s in the drawer,” the boy points out with his grubby hands. Hyungwon mutters a quick thank you and scrambles for the diapers where the nymph said they were.

When he eventually does, Hyungwon rushes to cover the baby from head to toe adjusting the onesie in some places so the kid could fit in it. He doesn’t understand Yeojoo’s obsession with oversized clothing.

( Minhyuk made a bet a few centuries ago that she probably had some kind of size kink. Hyungwon bet that it was actually the werewolf since he never stopped gushing about how their physiques complemented the other’s. Hoseok bet that the pair probably spent too much time together that they share the same kinks. The couple found out about the wager and doused their clothes in oil. It wasn’t a problem for Hyungwon since he’s a goblin but it was a bitch to listen to Hoseok and Minhyuk’s whinings as they tried to dissolve it. He figured it was a well-deserved karma. )

Now, he’s got one kid cradled in his right arm and the other grasping his left hand all prepared for the disastrous play time that’s about to happen.

He babysat them enough times to know the rodeo. Doesn’t make it any less miserable though.

The view that greets them outside the house is the Son estate’s green fields with splatters of vibrant colours – a token of gratitude from Spring for enduring Winter’s white void.

Hyungwon can feel Jooheon excited and Changkyun’s getting jumpy in his arm. He supposes it’s time to let them play but the moment he lets go of Jooheon’s hand, the nymph dashes off to the flowerbeds and lands himself into a pile of mud.

Hyungwon takes that as one earful from Yeojoo.

“Jooheon! Get out of the mud and play somewhere dry!” he yells and the fields echo his words.

Jooheon’s head emerges from the flowerbeds but he doesn’t budge from his spot. “Don’t wanna!” he yells back then returns to tossing around in the mud, covering himself in the wet soil without a care.

“Your mum will get mad at you!”

“No, she won’t! I’m a nymph, she’ll only get mad at you!” the boy snickers in victory.

Hyungwon groans. The child’s right. Even if Yeojoo does get pissed at the mess the kid made to his clothes and the flowerbed she worked so hard on, she wouldn’t actually get mad at him. Afterall, the garden is Jooheon’s handiwork mostly. Instead, she’ll get mad at Hyungwon for not restraining the kids.

Damn, the boy’s getting smarter and he’s barely 7 years old in human age.

The goblin decides that he should just give in to fate. It’s not like Yeojoo can kill him. Finally, being Hyunwoo’s best friend has a use. Being a goblin only ensures the prolonged murder so he’d rather not suffer from it in the first place.

He puts Changkyun softly on the grass and plops himself onto the ground next to the child.

Which is his second mistake.

The moment Changkyun’s feet touches the ground, the child takes it as an approval to turn. His transformation is so eager and quick that Hyungwon doesn’t have time to react. So, he does what he can ( read : watch the onesie get torn apart from all the spontaneous and sudden stretching, and perhaps cry ).

Now, he’s actually terrified.

It doesn’t matter if he’s Hoseok’s best friend. The older’s still a Grim Reaper and probably requesting for an Early Death for the goblin right this moment.

Hyungwon’s still in shock when Changkyun ditches the once adorable onesie and heads off to the trees and because he’s a naked wolf cub with still untamed canine tendencies, the baby pees onto the first tree bark he sees.

At this point, he’s just glad Changkyun had never nor will ever see Jooheon as a tree to piss on.

Somewhere along the chaos between Changkyun barking at tiny birds like a puppy and Jooheon uncontrollably sprouting weeds and other parasitic plants the garden, both screaming like diabolical mad scientists in sci-fi movies terrorising towns. Hyungwon faints.

/

“How many heart attacks did you get this time?” Hyunwoo asks once he enters the living room. He spots Hyungwon’s dark eye bags and snickers. His children are fast asleep with blankets over them in the other sofa, cuddling each other warmly. Yeojoo coos at the sight and shoots a picture to set as her phone background later.

Hyungwon moans.

“Too many for my 19 year old body.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, you’re 25 at most.” Yeojoo takes off her thin stockings and throws them at Hyungwon’s face. The goblin frowns in disgust and dodges the attack. Hyunwoo doesn’t get bothered by it at all and picks the articles up.

Hyunwoo hangs the stockings over the sofa, loosens his black tie as he does so. Yeojoo sees and purrs, obviously melting at some simple, mediocre act but love makes everything in life exaggerated. Hyungwon recoils in disgust.

“Gross.”

“I’m sorry, you Kim Shin failure.”

Hyungwon guffaws in disbelief. “First of all, Kim Shin doesn’t exist. Secondly, I have decency. No eye-intercourse in front of the kids.”

Yeojoo gives a confused look. Hyunwoo pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. “He meant to say eye-fucking.” Hyungwon throws a pillow at the vampire “No swearing in front of the kids!”

“They’re asleep!”

“One of them is a werewolf!”

“All he understands is baby talk!” Hyunwoo retorts.

“Yeobo, don’t yell,” Yeojoo shushed. The vampire raises his hands in defeat.

Hyungwon snorts but karma pays him back by giving his shins a kick in the form of Hyunwoo’s legs. “Move over,” the older says, already scooting and claiming his side of the sofa. His wife is still admiring their babies, her adoration captured in the photos she’s taking every few seconds.

The television’s on but the drama’s boring and doesn’t register in any of their heads. Instead, they focus on the serenity of the home and finds comfort in it.

“Thanks, by the way. Yeojoo and I haven’t had some alone time in weeks and no one was free enough to watch over them and you know how we feel about having maids or butlers around the house – “

“Hyung, stop rambling. And please, don’t thank me. I wanted to spend some time with them too you know?” Hyungwon looks over to the other sofa where the two boys were soundly asleep. Nymphs grow proportionally to their plant and werewolves hit their growth spurt quick. Given how Jooheon’s tree has been growing well and Changkyun himself has been getting bigger faster than he thought, it wouldn’t be long until they’ll reach the angst teenage years of puberty. Especially Changkyun who’s a werewolf, he’ll probably experience the human teenage emo years. Jooheon? Probbaly not but he’ll stop growing once he’s reached a certain age.

He needs to make time for them now because later may never come.

Hyunwoo smiles when he sees Hyungwon’s gentle eyes staring lovingly at his sons.

Whoever wants Kim Shin to be in their life has never known a Chae Hyungwon. He’s kinda glad in a way because when they don’t, Chae Hyungwon is all theirs : their own tall and awkward but amazing and ethereal goblin. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a filler chapter to introduce wonho's character!!  
> with a really small plot hint at the end

It goes without saying that Hoseok’s good with kids. All kids love him. He’s fun, handsome, and doesn’t remind children of their parents scolding them. The grim reaper realises it’s not really a good thing to always be a good cop, but kids are kids. It’s not his job to raise children who aren’t his own so he settles for being a forgiving and laid-back uncle to them. His job is to bring souls over to the afterlife and not meddle with their fates.

But it’s harder for the reaper when the children he accompanies hold his hand and tell them how excited they are instead of how much they miss being alive.

It’s a loophole Hoseok worships.

The reaper doesn’t bother making himself invisible to human mortals. There isn’t a single regulation that stops them but because reapers were created to have an edgy , sophisticated vibe surrounding them ( with the bonus of either a resting bitch face or a sharp gaze that people would fawn over, he doesn’t know how it’s decided but he’s glad he didn’t get the RBF syndrome a number of his siblings do).

But he’s a gentle soul whose main job is to accompany a soul. Not to be a harbinger of death. What if the concept he’s going for that day is the cool, rich CEO boyfriend? It’s just how he wants to look! He’s not there as some classy-looking reaper telling you you’re about to die! At the very least, he should let people die to a very handsome reaper as the last thing they see while still alive. He's doing them a favour blessing their mortal eyes with his god-like looks. 

“Hyung! Why are humans so mean!” he groans loudly. Hyunwoo looks away from the shirt he’s folding to the pale man wailing unnecessarily dramatic on the floor. It’s a funny scene to him – a reaper hundreds of years old with the looks of a man nearing 30 acting like his 8 months old son.

Changkyun giggles at his funny uncle but when he sees his stubby toes he tries to stick his foot inside his mouth. Hyunwoo stops the kid before he could but the cub just giggles even more, making grabby hands and wanting to play with his Appa. The vampire smiles sweetly at his baby, giving him an eye smile that the child returns with toothless grin. Hyunwoo coos at him, boops the baby’s nose with his finger lightly. “Later, baby. After Appa’s done with the laundry, okay?”

Hoseok scowls. “HyuuuuUuuuuUUng did you hear what I said?” he kicks his legs into the air in frustration. Hyunwoo hums a yes, eyes not leaving the baby at all. The reaper gasps in disbelief.”Then, why aren’t you saying anything?”

“I didn’t realise it was something worth my attention.”

“Hyung, everything I do is worth your attention!”

Changkyun kicks some of the unfolded laundry off the sofa Appa and himself were on and the clothes land right on the reaper who’s lying under Hyunwoo’s feet. The clothes pile on him like a mountain, suffocating him with the strong scent of stupidly expensive detergent.

Hoseok will never understand people’s obsession with scented things. It’s one thing to deal with Minhyuk’s hoard of scented candles (at least that actually made him relax) but Kihyun spreads it to cleaning materials. The detergents he buys smell like they were 95% Victoria Secret’s perfumes and 5% actual detergent for goodness sake.

He takes a deep sniff from them and starts sneezing.

Hyunwoo kicks his legs. “Don’t leave your germs there. I just cleaned them,” Hyunwoo warns. Changkyun seems to like his samchon suffering so he kicks more of the unfolded ones onto the reaper.

The vampire’s eyes softens from the steel gaze he shot at Hoseok moments before. “Changkyun, is samchon bothering you?”

The baby nods. Hyunwoo nods back in understanding.

“Hey, don’t conspire against me! I’m a reaper!” Hoseok threatens, voice muffled by the oversized sweaters and denim jeans. He doesn’t bother to get them off rather he settles to relish in the weight and the warmth of the dried clothes even though they’re making his nose itchy and will probably get them dirty with his snot.

Hyunwoo looks at him deadpanned. The vampire puts the skirt he had neatly folded to the side where Changkyun isn’t. He doesn’t need anymore of his efforts being put to waste. Sure, the man’s strong but it’s tiring to carry a basket of laundry and a clingy baby at the same time to and fro the laundry room.

“Didn’t you just complain about how reapers are seen as death wishers?”

Changkyun decides that he wants in on picking on his samchon. He tries to sit up in a hurry but fails when he misplaces his arm then rolls off the sofa. The baby falls onto the clothes sitting on top of the reaper and laughs maniacally. Oh well. At least the man still suffers.

Hoseok yells from the sudden added weight. He desperately wants to move, regrets filling his being for finding an odd sense of comfort from his friends’ laundry. But the reaper can’t otherwise the baby would fall onto the floor instead. There are very limited times in his life when Hoseok’s glad that he’s not actually alive and this just ranked itself at no.4.

The cub wiggles a bit, laughing at his samchon who’s letting out loud cries and chanting a mantra he’s familiar with, a mumble of words the reaper lets out whenever he or Jooheon do something that could get them in trouble. But he doesn’t care for he’s a charming 8 months old baby with literal puppy eyes.

There’s no way they’re gonna get mad at him.

His Appa picks him up, sits him on the floor before pushing off the laundry from Hoseok. The reaper praises the taller man in aegyo but takes it back when the vampire threatens to kick his stomach if he doesn’t stop being gross.

Hoseok turns to the child. “Changkyun, your Appa is being unfair!”

“Beh!”

Changkyun looks at him with large glossy eyes and like the happy and carefree baby he is, the wolf tosses and turns on the carpet finding it fun how rocking himself has the same sensation as when Eomma rocks him.

All the while, the reaper watches him. The cub sticks a hand in his mouth, biting on it with non-existent teeth chewing on the limb. Mindlessly the kid sticks his legs up and uses the other hand to latch onto his nearest foot and curls. Despite being such a mediocre act that infants do at least a few million times in their first three years, Hoseok’s heart swelled so much with adoration and he clutches his chest with tearful eyes.

Ah, kids are so cute.

Hyunwoo collects the folded laundry and kneels to give Changkyun a kiss on his chubby round cheeks. “Appa’s putting these upstairs okay? If samchon does anything, kick him.”

“Hyung!!!!!”

Changkyun giggles again, flailing his infant limbs in every direction. He doesn’t wholly understand what his Appa is saying but if his samchon is crying, then that means Changkyun has to kick him all the time! It’s what samchon Hyungwon told him to do and he knows it’ll make Eomma laugh. He likes to kick!

He watches his Appa punch his samchon in the shoulder then leaves the room with the clothes neatly folded.

They’re alone in the room.

Hoseok gulps anxiously. He’s far from awkward with the kid (how could he when he’s known the child since birth?) but he sees the glistening eyes Changkyun gives him and the strings tug his heart even worse.

Changkyun glows with a soft sunflower yellow that Hoseok had long grown accustomed to. The glow extends to a slim glowing string of the same warmth and it twirls around Hoseok’s own fingers. Ever since the child was born, it had been there and never once cut off no matter how far apart they are. The reaper feels slightly bad that Changkyun has more connection to him than Jooheon does but he supposed the circumstances they’re in can’t allow anything else.

But if this circumstance is what’ll continue this life of theirs, what’ll make his best friend happier, what’ll make his nephew feel less lonely, what’ll make the people around them more lively and live their life to the fullest then he’ll gladly live with the collar around his neck.

He doesn’t regret it one bit.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry!! i've been sick for the past two weeks ( counting today it should be three? ) and last week was the absolute worst  
> i had a great on how to introduce min during that time but i fell asleep and it was all gone  
> and then halfway writing this there was another great idea on how to end it but i fell asleep then too ( somehow being sick makes me more delirious and imaginative but alas cough syrup and antibiotics prevailed as the champions )  
> so in the end, i couldn't get a good ending like i hoped ( since this whole thing was meant to be short chapters ) but at least there's insight on their relationships ......... T o T

Lee Minhyuk is Kihyun’s best friend.

 

Has been for the past few hundred years.

 

Has been ever since he sneaked out from his pack’s home, found a sleeping child at the root of the tree after sniffing out that familiar scent, has been ever since he pretty much glued himself to Kihyun’s side when he brought back another pack member who woke Kihyun up and the younger boy was so lost  and scared.

 

Lee Minhyuk is Kihyun’s older brother. In a way.

 

But because the wolf has been Kihyun’s best friend since forever, he’s got many advantages that Hoseok and Hyungwon don’t.

 

Privileges that Hyunwoo himself doesn’t have. 

 

The first time they hang out together for the night, Hyunwoo and Kihyun had their way and the rest of them seemed to have the decency to pretend they didn’t hear anything. Or so Hyunwoo thought because the next day Minhyuk dragged the hybrid even though the other was limping badly. Sure, he wondered what was so urgent and important that the wolf had to bring the other somewhere else to talk but the question in his head was shot down the moment the pair came back and Minhyuk demanded to see if Hyunwoo’s dick was as big as Kihyun had claimed then shamelessly whipped his own out for a size comparison.

 

Hyungwon muted him for the rest of day.

 

When Hyunwoo and Minhyuk were arguing over the cucumbers, a banter that escalated to a correlation of the vegetable to dick sizes ( _ “Maybe if you ate cucumbers you wouldn’t have to rely on a fucking knot. “  “All those cucumbers yet the one in your heart is the one without erectile dysfunction.”)  _ Kihyun went to console the devastated bastard while chewing Hyunwoo’s ears off for being an inconsiderate prick even though the hybrid was only there to see Minhyuk fake cry. Of course, Minhyuk being the little shit he was, gave blatant white lies to further aggravate his best friend’s anger at his then-boyfriend despite being the person who started and fuelled the fire. 

 

Minhyuk is Kihyun’s little shit.

 

“Hyung, do you ever get jealous?” Hyungwon asks him, eyes locked onto the swirls he stirred into his coffee.

 

The question catches Hyunwoo off guard but it isn’t too shocking of one nor is he upset by the implication of it. In the distance, the vampire hears Kihyun laughing with Minhyuk in their garden. It’s a string of beautiful sounds that makes him feel alive.

 

He snorts at the goblin’s question.

 

“Obviously.”

 

Hyungwon gasps mockingly, mimicking the expression of a k-drama’s heir’s mother when said heir decides to marry a pauper. Hyunwoo throws a used teabag at his face and the soaked item drenched the goblin’s face in sticky tea. “Weren’t you the one who picked up on it in the first place?”

 

The goblin grabs a nearby tissue and wipes his face dry but the stickiness stays and the disgust in his gut growls. “Yeah, but like... that was centuries ago when you didn’t even know you had feelings for him!” he points out. The man furiously wipes away the residue on his face with none even leaving his face but decides to just leave it be. It’ll be a waste to use his powers for trivial things like this.

 

Hyunwoo rolls his eyes and settles down the pen that’s been in his hand for the past hour as he cracked his head trying to figure out what’s the best product the company can invest in or should they just come up with their own. The figures are floating in his head like an afterthought and the vampire doesn’t want to deal with it anymore.

 

“It’s hard  _ not _ to get jealous when they’re all over each other whenever they meet but it’s been easier to cope,” the man explains. A sense of pride fills him, the confidence of being able to express his thoughts more and more rather than keeping it to himself. Hyunwoo’s one of those people who copes better when he lets it out and there’s a lingering regret that he struggled for a long time to do so, burdening Hoseok and Hyungwon with assumptions or deadends.

 

The sitting goblin squints his eye and his lips curved into a coy smile. “Eh, is that so?” Hyungwon finds satisfaction in the embarrassment his hyung feels at the admittance, a contrast to how the man’s usually a straightforward bear. For a person who’s blunt about vulgar topics and blatantly saying sexual stuff with a straight face like he’s pointing out the colours of the passing cars, he gets red in the ears and runs away when it’s an innocent proclamation of love.

 

Hyunwoo kicks a leg of Hyungwon’s chair and the whole thing wobbles along with the goblin. Hyungwon yelps in surprise and his heart races for a moment. Once his breathing slows down with the pacing of his heart, the goblin sneers.

 

“Kihyun-hyung!!!!!” Hyungwon yells like the oversized and definitely overgrown brat he is. Hyunwoo scowls and readies for whatever shit the goblin has up his sleeve.

 

It doesn’t take long for the hybrid to come in tow with Jooheon in his arms and Minhyuk follows behind. The three are ridden in dirt from head to toe, their faces covered in the garden soil Minhyuk probably dug up as a wolf for Jooheon. Kihyun just played along. 

 

“What is it?” the tiny man asks, his hands lifting up Jooheon’s shirt up the boy’s torso so he could wash them later. The nymph giggles at how ticklish it feels when his Eomma’s hands are on his belly. It reminds him of when his Appa would wake him up and he doesn’t want to.

 

Hyungwon squints at Hyunwoo in amusement and the vampire sends him a glare.

 

“Hyunwoo-hyung or Minhyuk-hyung?”

 

“Minhyuk, obviously.”

 

Hyungwon gasps dramatically and smirks at his older friend. “Why?”

 

Kihyun doesn’t answer but fusses with Jooheon’s pants. Once the boy’s free from the prison of his clothes, he dashes off to the bathroom with a high-pitched laugh. The hybrid clicks his tongue at his energetic son then turns to his husband and friend sitting in the kitchen by the window.

 

“Hyunwoo-hyung loves me too much to let me do any kind of stupid shit. I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life,”  Kihyun sticks out his tongue at his spouse while Minhyuk cheers on at a potential couple spat. Hyunwoo’s eyes widen, his fingers already messaging his temples for the headache he’s about to get.

 

“Just because you’re a phoenix hybrid doesn’t mean you have to find dumb ways to die. I want you to die  _ dignified.  _ Not over choking on a fruit.”

 

“Hey! That was centuries ago! And what even is a dignified death? Royals die choking on poisoned food. I can’t even die of old age, bitch,” the hybrid retorts in disbelief. Hyunwoo looks back at the goblin with a blank expression, a finger pointed at the tiny man as if to say  _ ‘I swore my eternity to this stupidity’. _

 

Kihyun pouts. “Ah, I see. You want me  _ poisoned.  _ You want someone to  _ kill _ me. How could you? See, Hyungwon, this is why I chose Minhyuk!  _ He’ll _ make sure I won’t get assassinated.Unlike my own  _ husband _ .”

 

Hyunwoo wants to counter and remind his husband that that’s exactly why Hoseok bails out on whenever there’s a wild decision Minhyuk makes. Only Minhyuk and Kihyun can feed Hoseok’s anxiety with death. His job is to accompany not to contribute to the toll.

 

Minhyuk wants the banter to escalate into a fight and cheers Kihyun on with his poor lives decisions.

 

“Hyung, see. Unlike you guys with one life each, we’ve got  _ plenty _ . We’re  _ expendable _ . You guys can lay it off easily let us do all the work~” he smugly says. Hyunwoo doesn’t seem convinced by his words.

 

“I’m sorry, was I talking to you? I love Kihyun that’s why I don’t want him to die. But you’re right about one thing, you are expendable.”

 

Kihyun guffaws in shock. “Jagi, how could you say that to Min? My brother for life? My soulmate? How dare you?I want a divorce right now, ” he places a hand over his chest and frowns so much his chin turned into a walnut.

 

“How dare me? Very dare. Much brave.”

 

Minhyuk scrunches his nose. “Okay, wait-stop. No memes for you, hyung. You’re too old for that. You’re an ancient relic.”

 

“I’m only 67 years older than you,” Hyunwoo points out. What the hell? He doesn’t want to know what’s Minhyuk’s logic. The throbbing pain in his head is getting worse every second and he can see Hyungwon praying for Hoseok to see his name on some list and take him away. 

 

“Correction. I’m only 5 years old this time. I stuck that fork into the socket that one time, remember?”

 

“So that’s why you act like one. Now, I get it,” Hyungwon realises, letting out an ‘ah’ as if a light bulb just lit in his head. He nods in understanding and amazement at how Minhyuk both defended and insulted himself at the same time. Hyunwoo snickers behind his hand at the goblin’s words.

 

The werewolf pouts, his feet stomping the ground lightly like a three-year old. He faces Kihyun with glossy eyes and calls for his name like Jooheon would when the boy falls and scrapes his knee. He links his arm with the hybrid’s and goes up and down impatiently. “Kihyun-ah, they’re bullying me. Look at  _ them.  _ The Kim Shin wannabe and the Edward Cullen”-“ Kiryu Zero works better, Min.  _ Please _ don’t insult my choice of husband, I have taste ” Kihyun comments-“urgh, fine. But look at them! They’re laughing at me. Assholes.”

 

The werewolf snarls playfully and Hyunwoo can see Kihyun weighing the pros and cons. 

 

Minhyuk eventually realises that his whining isn’t going to get him anywhere so when it does sink in, he perches his head over the phoenix’s narrow shoulders, but his glistening eyes train on Hyunwoo’s face scrutinisingly. 

 

“You.”

 

“It’s hyung, asshat.”

 

“Hyung, tell Kim Shin over there to get rid of cucumbers and buy me a thousand Hawaiian pizzas else you can say hello to a forever of vanilla,” the werewolf proposes. Kihyun chokes on air at the proposition and hits his friend’s head unapologetically hard. His husband snorts amused. Hyungwon on the other hand, looks back and forth at all three of them unsure of what just transpired.

 

“Vanilla ice-cream?”  he tilts his head cutely, thick lips pursed upwards in confusion. 

 

“Vanilla sex,” Hyunwoo explains. The goblin stiffens at the revelation and shrieks in disgust. He scrunches his nose and wrinkles formed all over his face. 

 

Kihyun screeches right after Hyungwon does, ears turned hot red and cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment. He peels off Minhyuk in an instant but pulls the older by his ear along to where the vampire is. Once he stans right behind Hyunwoo , he lets go of the wolf’s ears and with both of his small hands hits them both on the head landing light punches on their backs .

 

“I don’t see why you’re so embarrassed about it?” Hyunwoo blocks the soft punches effortlessly with his arm, eyes rolling at Kihyun’s futile attempts to release his fits of embarrassment. Minhyuk isn’t so lucky with his spaghetti limbs and he’s pretty sure that no matter how fit his wolf is, bruises would litter his body by tomorrow.

 

Why the fuck aren’t muscles transferrable? The amount of exercise he does as a wolf should be enough for his human body too! He doesn’t need anymore of his K-drama time gone.

 

“Hyung, I don’t see why you’re  _ not  _ embarrassed by it. Have some shame please,” Hyungwon spits, eyeing the couple with disgust. He hears his hyung’s words again in his brain and curses himself when he imagines it. The goblin shivers.

 

Kihyun continues to shriek in a pitch so high Minhyuk’s sure the windows would shatter soon if he doesn’t stop, not feeling an ounce of exhaustion as he lands his fists on his husband and friend’s broad backs. Hyunwoo gives up and lets the hybrid do whatever he wants to get rid of the embarrassment while Minhyuk wails on the floor shielding himself from the younger’s attacks by kicking the hands away with his legs.

 

Hyungwon relishes in the screaming, letting it block all the images of the R18 part of his friends’ marriage life. Maybe his annoyance with the pandemonium would push away his disgust for the two. Maybe.

 

All seems well until a distinct lisped voice yells from upstairs, 

 

_ “God forbid you guys being so desperate to see my office, but I guess you decided you've lived fucking long enough.” _

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a sick baby wolf and a brother who tries his very best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a request!!!!  
> i hope you like it!! :D

Jooheon stirs awake grumpily. Changkyun’s being whimpering for a few minutes now, sounding like a dejected puppy in his wooden crib. The nymph opens his eyes giving into his frustration and sees his brother as a still but trembling silhouette. The moonlight isn’t enough to show Changkyun’s face but the child figures that his brother is curled up under his blanket.

He gets up from his bed and swings his legs over to get down from it. The nymph slips on his bee in-house slippers and skips over to Changkyun’s crib just a metre away.

True to his assumptions, the cub’s shivering but tears flood his face and drench his small teddy bear. “Kyun?” Jooheon says but isn’t looking for an answer. Something’s wrong with his brother and he can’t tell what. His heart races when he realises that he doesn’t know what to do and his parents are asleep. They’ve been working all day long and Appa came home after dinner. He can’t wake them up!

Changkyun notices his presence and turns to him with teary red eyes. He opens his mouth to let out another small whimper and nods his head. Jooheon takes it as a sign to come closer and make things feel better. The nymph rests a palm against the cub’s forehead and the heat he feels bother him.

“Kyun, fever?” he juts out his plump lips. The cub doesn’t understand what his brother is saying but the pain is so overbearing he starts to sob. Why does his head hurt so much and why isn’t the air-conditioner working!?

Jooheon shushes the baby and scatters around the room to look for face towel he could use. The infant smells his brother’s honey scent fading away as the older boy gets far from him and whimpers louder. “It’s okay!! I’m gonna help!” he smiles at the cub deep dimples forming on his cheeks.

The toddler rummages through the dresser where he knows Eomma kept their handkerchiefs, hoping to find one small enough to use. When he does find one at the corner of the drawer, he exclaims a loud yay! Then rushes back to his brother’s side.

There’s a bottle of water Appa left on the dresser in between Changkyun’s crib and his bed just in case Jooheon gets thirsty at night and too sleepy to go downstairs to the kitchen to get a cup.

He grabs it and pours the water onto the small thick towel, letting it soak up until water starts to drip. A puddle forms on the floor from the careless pouring but he doesn’t care. His brother is sick! The toddler empties the bottle and tosses it aside, then twists the towel the way he saw Eomma do all the time with all of his effort but the towel remains drenched rather than damped. Oh well, the wetter it is, the faster Changkyun gets better right?!

The nymph lays the towel messily on his brother’s forehead and Jooheon applauds himself for the first-aid he’s given. The wet towel however was dripping and Changkyun despises the gross feeling.

The cub lets out a loud cry and Jooheon panics, he’s sure he did it right so why is his brother crying!?

In the end, he’s still a child so afraid of consequences and thinking he just sent his brother on a faster way to death so he runs to the master bedroom three doors away and bangs on the door until Eomma opens it.

“Jooheon? What is it?” Kihyun yawns as he rubs his eyes. He looks over his son and finds the toddler’s top wet and raises a brow. “Why is your shirt wet?” the man questions. Did the kid come here because he spilt water on himself?

Jooheon’s lips tremble. He wants to tell his Eomma but he’ll get mad if he finds out! He shouldn’t have come.

“Baby?” the phoenix can see his son having some sort of internal conflict running through his head.

“Something wrong with Kyun!!” Jooheon spits out. He’s close to tears, he really doesn’t want his brother to die but he also doesn’t want to get scolded by Eomma for making his brother die! He’s a bad boy and’ll go to that scary place that Minhyuk samchon said!

At Jooheon’s words, the man gets out of his sleepy state, fully awake but from panic. He looks back at his sleeping husband who’s snoring and dead from the world like a log. The hybrid feels bad if he wakes the other up if it’s something small and decides it’s enough for one parent to go.

Kihyun takes his son’s hand in his, the boy trying his hardest not to cry but his face being as red as a strawberry. He sniffles a bit, choking on sobs occasionally. His Eomma rubs his thumb against his hand to comfort but it doesn’t settle the fear in his heart.

When they reach the room, the man’s heart sinks. His baby’s cries fill the room and body shaking hard even with the thick blanket on.

He lets go of Jooheon’s hand and rushes to the crib. Kihyun carefully picks up the child into his arms, cradling him gently. The nymph notes the wet towel but doesn’t comment on it, instead takes it off and lays his palm against Changkyun’s forehead. The skin’s burning hot and the dread gets heavier in his being. He’s had to deal with Minhyuk’s numerous fevers before but Minhyuk is a hybrid like him and purebloods are of a different biology.

Kihyun takes his hand off and lays the baby on Jooheon’s bed. The infant kicks and flails around in discomfort even with Jooheon caressing his cheeks as an attempt to soothe him better. The hybrid crouches down to the nymph’s eye level and tells him to watch over his brother while he rings up the local clinic for help.

Jooheon climbs onto his bed with ease, hands planted onto the mattress first and then tossing himself over. His Eomma checks them one more time before going back to the master bedroom to get his phone.

The toddler looks over his brother who’s still wailing and his heart breaks. It feels so heavy and he wants to cry too but he has to be a strong big brother!

“Sorry,” he mutters, his left pinky in Changkyun’s small fist swinging along with the baby’s fit. He sits on his bed doing nothing but watching the cub cry to make the pain stop. Jooheon desperately wants to hug his brother to make him feel better but decides against it. He doesn’t know if it’ll really make things better – the wet towel didn’t work and Changkyun got worse.

He doesn’t know how long Changkyun’s been crying for when Eomma comes back, this time in a form his Appa calls her as Yeojoo. She quickly ties her hair in a ponytail as she enters and plops herself onto the small bed on Changkyun’s right. She takes the infant into her arms and cradles him, then lifts up her shirt and positions the child so he could latch onto her left nipple.

Jooheon grips onto Yeojoo’s other arm, eyes wide with concern when he questions his Eomma. “Kyun?” Yeojoo chuckles at how cute her son is and leaves a peck on his damp hair. “The doctor said he’ll be fine. But if continues tomorrow, we’ll have to bring him in. Don’t worry, Heonnie. Kyun will be a-okay” she ruffles the boy’s fluffy black hair with adoration as assurance for the toddler. She understands that most siblings wouldn’t have this sort of openly loving relationship and the hybrid’s quite glad with how they ended up.

“Now tell me, why’s the floor wet?” Yeojoo hums. Her left nipple’s getting a bit sore and she adjusts the two of them so it wouldn’t hurt as Changkyun nurses from her.

The nymph looks away abashed. “Wet towel…”

“So you decided to use the water in the bottle Appa gave?”

Jooheon nods but doesn’t look at his Eomma.

Yeojoo sighs. She’s not disappointed in the mess Jooheon made but rather how her son did it own his own instead of waking her or Hyunwoo up to care for Changkyun. She’s their mother, she should be looking after them!

“Jooheon, I’m not mad okay?” at the mention of his name, the nymph turns to his Eomma with his dejected look. “Eomma is just sad that you did it on your own and didn’t ask Eomma or Appa to do it. Jooheon is a big boy but even big boys need help,” she scolds lightly.

“Okay.” Jooheon softly says. He nuzzles into Yeojoo’s left, relishing in the comfort of her pyjamas.

“Is my baby sleepy?”

Her son nods, eyes already droopy and threatening to close as he tries to stay awake.Yeojoo laughs at the cuteness and pinches the boy’s plump cheek. “Go to sleep, baby. You’ve been a really good big brother, “ she leans down careful to not hurt Changkyun in her hold as he still drinks then leaves a goodnight kiss on top of Jooheon’s head.

The child dozes off a few seconds after. He dreams of an open field in the middle of a forest – a familiar scene that he’s sure he’s seen behind the house – filled with daisies that Changkyun rolls over as he chases him with short and stubby legs. His Eomma’s voice overlaps with his Appa’s, the both of them watching over the two and they’re singing a lullaby they always sing before putting the both of them to sleep. His Eomma’s silvery sweet voice complements so well with his Appa’s strong modulated one that he feels giddy inside.

Nothing bad happens in the dream as all that does happen are breathing in the scent of flowers all around, feeling the soil get in between his toes, and the green of the trees speak to him, every root beneath his feet pulsating, feeling them being so alive.

The morning later, Jooheon wakes up feeling  invincible. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ive already planned the next few ones and they're very showki-heavy (i mean... this is a showki fic....)  
> but let's go with one more before i dive you guys into the plot!!  
> just comment and i'll pick one that i can work with :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i forgot to mention that all the chapters are in non-chronological order!!
> 
> as usual, unbeta'ed, no proofreading, and this is the result of procrastinating on my studies and trying not to get too overwhelmed by my stress huuu
> 
> in my country, the kihyun/yeojoo in this AU would be best described as 'perasan muda/rasa muda' and 'manja'. there aren't any accurate english translations for those terms to use but the explanation will be quite... wordy
> 
> nothing much happens in here so thank you for reading this chaos uwu

Even though he’s not the youngest, Jooheon’s still their baby. Maybe the advantage they have over Changkyun is that the child’s a werewolf and wolves were naturally independent. Plus, Minhyuk’s an alpha so it’s easier to leave the cub behind once he settles in Minhyuk’s pheromones. But Jooheon’s not a wolf. It’s possibly Hyunwoo’s fault for spoiling the kid to no end now that the nymph is extremely reliant on and clingy to his parents.

 

Jooheon’s shouts of ‘no!’ resounds through the large condominium Hoseok calls home, refusing to loosen his hold on his Appa’s sleeves. He wants to go along with his parents to wherever they go! Why can’t he join? Changkyun can stay behind if he wants to but he doesn’t want to leave his parents!

 

“Jooheon-ah, we’ll come back tomorrow okay?” Hyunwoo pries off the child’s stubby fingers from his coat. He doesn’t like the tears that are spilling all over Jooheon’s cheeks but he needs this. Knows he does. The man knows it’s not a bad thing to have some time off from being a parent for his own sake but the guilt gnaws at him whenever Jooheon fists his sleeves.

 

“No!”

 

Yeojoo sighs, bouncing Changkyun in her arms and letting him soak in her scent before they leave for the night. She doesn’t want to leave her kids behind even if she knows her friends are more than capable of caring for two children.Even if there’ll be practically five children in the house, at least the oldest three know how to control their powers and look after themselves. 

 

The cub in her arms giggle. “Eomma! Eomma!” he stretches out his hands and pats one of them on his Eomma’s cheeks.

 

“Yes, baby?”

 

Changkyun smiles and pats her cheeks again. “Eomma! Eomma! Eomma!”and kicks his legs, almost making Yeojoo drop him had it not been for Minhyuk. The older wolf catches his lower half in time when Yeojoo’s caught by surprise, leading to her nearly having the infant fall out of her grasp and offers to carry the baby.

 

The woman passes the infant to her best friend, cooing at how Changkyun makes grabby gestures and basically laughing at anything and everything.

 

Minhyuk boops his nose on the cub’s forehead smiling as he did so when the baby returns him a dimpled toothy smile of his own. “You’re so cute, urgh. It’s frustrating. Kyun, why are you so cute?” the man pokes the baby’s tummy with his index. The baby laughs right away when he feels the finger and squirms trying to escape from it.

 

Yeojoo melts.

 

Hyungwon snickers at Hyunwoo struggling to have Jooheon off him before picking the child up and locking him in his hold. The nymph cries, kicking back at the man’s abdomen. He tries to push himself out of the goblin’s arms and for once, Hyungwon isn’t weak. But the goblin does let out a groan when the kick hits him right in the gut yet his hold doesn’t weaken.

 

“Jooheon, that’s not nice.” Hyunwoo scolds.

 

The nymph huffs, “Appa, it’s not nice to leave me here!” and cries red in the face.

 

Hyungwon gasps. “You don’t like me, Heoney?”

 

“No!”

 

Minhyuk overhears and howls. “Oh my God, he’s desperate. Hyung, just go otherwise you’ll never leave and Jooheon will always be under your thumb,” the wolf suggest. The cub babbles and at the mention of his older brother, he starts exclaiming the boy’s name.

 

“Joo-hyung! Joo-hyung!” he tries to get the older’s attention but the nymph’s preoccupied with trying to make his parents stay.

 

“Appa, if you leave I’ll hate you forever!” Jooheon yells, a crack in his voice at the end. He tightens his grip on Hyunwoo’s sleeve and pushes away Hyungwon’s hands that try to pry him off. Why is it so bad for him to go with his parents?

 

Hoseok sighs. He’s dealt with kids throwing a fit like Jooheon before but it never makes the next tantrum any easier. The grim reaper gets up from the sofa and gets in between the father and son, pushing them apart so that Jooheon won’t be able to tug onto the older’s coat anymore. “Jooheon, Eomma and Appa need to have some alone time okay? They’ll come back tomorrow and they’ll buy you toys!”

 

Hyunwoo pinches the grim reaper’s back. “I can’t spoil him anymore, look at where it’s gotten us,” he hisses sharply careful not to let Jooheon hear him. Hoseok glares unapologetically at the vampire, crushing the older’s toes with the heel of his feet “Do you want to waste more time here with a bunch of single old men and two babies or a night with your wife, a date with her?”

 

It’s an argument that Hyunwoo loses in. 

 

Jooheon looks at him with tearful eyes and trembling lips. “Appa... promise?” he croaks. He sticks out a pinky that Hyunwoo takes and curls his larger pinky around it. The man grins softly at his boy and leaves a peck on his forehead. “Promise.” Jooheon chokes on a sob but doesn’t say anything more. He slackens his grip on his Appa’s pinky and retreats it back to his body, then rubs the finger with his other hand. 

 

Yeojoo kisses Changkyun on the cheek as she says her goodbye and hugs Jooheon on her way to the door. The youngest waves at her excitedly but her oldest’s eyes are downcast and red while soft mumbles of goodbyes spill out of his mouth. 

 

“Don’t worry, noona. Minhyuk-hyung can cook a proper nutritional dinner that isn’t KFC or pizza so we won’t eat ramyeon. Hoseok-hyung is responsible so the kids will be 100% fine when you come back, and I’m a goblin, you already know what I can do so go. Go on your disgusting date or whatever couples do,” Hyungwon lets go of Jooheon, relieved that the boy stays put. The toddler’s sulking but that’s alright. Nothing a cartoon can’t fix. The goblin sees Hyunwoo opening the door and once the door’s ajar he shoos them out.

 

“Don’t come back until tomorrow! I mean it! Don’t call us either, just text!” he shouts, pushing the couple out of the condominium. Once he successfully does, he shuts the door close and locks it.

 

It was done in such a rush that Yeojoo didn’t have time to process it. It takes her a minute to process that Hyungwon kicked them out of Hoseok’s home and basically told them to pretend they don’t exist until morning comes.

 

Hyunwoo smacks his lips. “Well, should we get going?” he takes Yeojoo’s hand in his, body ready to head downstairs to the carpark. Yeojoo who’s still frozen out of shock, nods with a dropped jaw. Seriously, couldn’t Hyungwon just tell them to go like a normal person?

 

Hyunwoo tugs her hand and successfully brings her out of the trance. The hybrid blinks twice and grins when she feels a big warm hand intertwined with her own. Mischievously, the woman tiptoes to reach her husband’s eye level. “Oppa, are we going to the fair?”

 

“Oppa? Yah, you’re crazy,”Hyunwoo guffaws. There’s nothing wrong with his wife calling him that but she only calls him so whenever she wants to act like they’re a young unmarried couple. A boyfriend and a girlfriend in their honeymoon phase rather than a married couple who had watched Korea grow over the years. 

 

Yeojoo gasps and punches him lightly. “Oppa, you’re so mean! Don’t you love me?”

 

The vampire rolls his eyes. He hums and leans forward, back arched downwards so Yeojoo wouldn’t have to crane her neck. “It’s because I love you that I’m going to humour you. So yes, oppa’s bringing you to that fair downtown. I promised your brother I’ll bring you back by 11 so it’s better if we go now, ” he laughs.

 

Yeojoo smiles coyly. “Heh, smart boy,” the phoenix squeals. Sure, sue her. Who doesn’t like to feel young? She doesn’t look like she aged a day over 24 and Hyunwoo is forever 25. The way people date change with each generation and a part of her wants to experience all the kinds that she hears of. Nowadays, it’s trendy to go bankrupt at a funfair or so Instagram says.

 

She squeezes her husband’s hand in delight and skips in her steps down the hallway dragging the laughing man behind her.

 

/

 

The couple settles for honey-flavoured fried chicken to stuff themselves with. They forgo the idea of a fancy dinner at a high-class restaurant not liking the formal set-up they’ll have to put up with if they did. The funfair isn’t much even with numerous stalls line up down the path leading to each attraction that catches their attention but visitors flock the place especially with bouncing children.

 

Yeojoo takes a bite and lets out a moan of satisfaction. “Ah~The best thing in this world is chicken~” the hybrid cries. The taste is so heavenly she could cry right there and then and she doesn’t care if hundreds of people can see her doing so. She should ask Hyungwon to grant the hawker a wish for delivering such divine chicken.

 

Her husband on the other hand just munches it without any sort of dramatic exclamation. Carefully, he sets the huge gudetama he won in between them with his free hand while the other holds onto the drumstick he’s been chewing on.

 

“Will you dump me for chicken?” Hyunwoo asks, full of amusement. He already knows her answer but does it anyway. His wife nods enthusiastically and he kicks her calf lightly. “Then how are we going to tell the kids their new parent is an uncooked egg?”

 

Yeojoo cocks her head to the side. “I won’t. I’ll just put it at the dining table and then bam! Kids, this is your new parent. Your Appa left with his mistress,” she cackles. The man raises his eyebrows and puffs out his cheeks. “Mistress?”

 

“The wakeboard you wake up on Sunday mornings for.”

 

Hyunwoo fakes a gasp. “You wouldn’t.” The pheonix takes the chicken wing out of her mouth and sticks out her tongue at her husband. Playfully she shoves the wing in Hyunwoo’s face and forcing it into his mouth. Said man, caught by surprise, almost falls off the bench but manages to lean forwards just in time.

 

“Ya, you really are crazy!” he shoves his chicken back into the paper bag then grabs Yeojoo’s cheeks with oily hands. The woman shrieks in horror and tries to get away but fails and mutters curses under her breath as her cheeks are covered in grease. 

 

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry! This is so gross, ahjussi hands off,” Yeojoo pleads. She swats the large hands away with a mock disgust on her face and rummages for a wet tissue in her bag. The hybrid offers a sheet to the man next to her then cleans her own hands. 

 

Hyunwoo mouths, ‘ahjussi?’ flabbergasted at the term. 

 

“Ah. Ju.Ssi!” Yeojoo happily exclaims, emphasising each syllable of the word with cute motions that makes her ponytail bounce along. She stuffs the used wipe into her pocket to throw away later and plants her face into the large gudetama plushie. “Think they’ll like this?” she asks with a muffled voice. The phoenix pinches the toy’s face, cooing at how soft it is. 

 

Hyunwoo hums as he ponders. “Maybe, but wouldn’t Changkyun bite it first...” Yeojoo’s head shot upwards at the realisation and she groans. “But there aren’t any toys for Changkyun here...what should we do... “ her words trail off. 

 

“We could just have it for us? They won’t know if we hide it in our room,” the man suggests. His wife’s eyes widen at the idea, “You bad dad! They’ll be sad!”

 

“Then I can just get them other toys. They’re kids, they’re easy to please with toys.”

 

“Still!”

 

Yeojoo huffs out loud then stuffs her face into the soft toy right after. She flails her legs, beige chelsea boots kicked into the air. She mumbles something unintelligble that Hyunwoo can’t hear either but the latter bets it’s something to do with how sad their sons will be if they play around the house and find the plushie.

 

“Then we’ll just lock our room? Changkyun’s not that tall and Hyungwon can just...I don’t know.Bewitch the doorknob.Whatever a goblin does,” Hyunwoo shrugs. Yeojoo looks at him , squints her eyes and pouts. Hyunwoo’s heart bursts at her walnut chin, a sight he finds cute and never will stop finding cute even if the person in front of him is sulking or scowling.

 

“You’re impossible.”

 

“It’s possible, you just spoil them too much.”

 

“No.I just love them. Unlike you, boo.”

 

Hyunwoo gives up. There’s no point in their banter if Yeojoo won’t entertain his side of the argument. He raises both his hands, palms outward and puckers his thick lips at the younger. Yeojoo sees, “Eheh. Gotcha,” she imitates a pistol with her hand, faking a gunshot aimed at her husband. 

 

 

They sit in a comfortable silence that followed after. The fair’s bustling and busy with incoming and going visitors babbling about their lives to the people they’re with, chatters of the vendors and customers finding its place in the cacophony of sounds. The loud music blaring from the megaphones mixed with the mundane chats compensated for the lack of conversation between the two, the white noise leaving them both entertained watching people go by their routine. 

 

The cold doesn’t bother Yeojoo who’s snuggled up in a white turtleneck and a midi pleated skirt layered by a beige trenchcoat, nor does it make Hyunwoo shiver despite wearing only a forest green v-neck sweater over a white dress shirt and thick black trousers, his coat matching with the other. 

 

But the cold does signal that it’s time to go. 

 

Hyunwoo takes Yeojoo’s hand in his, the other hand holding onto bags of food they bought from the fair including their unfinished chicken. The hybrid swings their arms together as they walk full with delightment when the gudetama toy is pressed against her chest. 

 

Their car’s parked not far from the fair. Just by the roadside a few minutes’ walk from the entrance. There isn’t any rush to go home really but Hyunwoo uses the decreasing temperature as an excuse to go relax in the warmth of their home. 

 

The roadside’s full of cars lined up diagonally and the pair plays a game of I Spy. Hyunwoo tries to guess, Yeojoo tries to fool. It’s payback for when she got thirsty and thought the older would let her drink from his Pepsi but the other snatched it away from her right when she was about to take a sip,then laughed at her. 

 

But Hyunwoo’s not a fool, neither is Yeojoo is a loser. When Hyunwoo guesses right, Yeojoo tells him he’s wrong, and then the vampire would simply say he’s joking and start pointing to another thing and the cycle repeats. There’s no direction in their game. Just a bit of teasing and playing. 

 

By the time they reach the car, Yeojoo’s shivering and huddles into Hyunwoo’s side. The toy isn’t enough to warm her up so she relies on her husband’s body warmth.

 

Unlike the books, Hyunwoo’s the kind of vampire whose heart still beats, whose blood still flows, who still feels so alive. He’s not really an undead being. His parents were vampires, and he remembers clearly how hot it would be when they suffocate him with a tight hug, and how skin contact on a hot day made him suffer and sweat. 

 

 

They toss the toy to the passenger seats at the back but bring the food to the front. Yeojoo holds them in her arms, munching onto the roasted sweet potato they found. It’s still hot and her mouth waters. Hyunwoo takes a bite when the woman offers it to him. 

 

And the rest of the drive is the same. 

 

All along the way home, Yeojoo takes a piece of food and shoves it inside Hyunwoo’s mouth. The older doesn’t refuse or push it away but tilts his head slightly with an opened mouth to take a chunk out of said food all while his eyes are focused on the road. 

 

The couple doesn’t speak much while they’re in the car. Had their sons been in there with them, then maybe. But they enjoy the tranquillity that looms over them. It’s a nice break from the chaos that breaks out when all four of them are together and even worse when the seven of them are in the same space. 

 

Being in the car with just the two of them gives them the break they’ve longed for. 

 

Throughout the ride, Yeojoo’s free hand rests on Hyunwoo’s right thigh. The feel of firm muscles makes her feel giddy and awe. Hyunwoo hums a song that Yeojoo forgets the title but it doesn’t matter as she can still whistle along with the tune of it. 

 

The drive doesn’t take long given that the traffic’s not as bad as it could’ve been at 5PM on a weekday. They’re lucky it’s a weekend and the only thing they have to worry about is families bringing their kids for bonding time. 

 

When they reach the gates of their estate- a whole 20 minutes drive away from the fair itself- Yeojoo yawns and stretches her arms. Hyunwoo cracks his knuckles and rolls his shoulders, craning his neck left and right. 

 

Wow, they’re really getting old. 

 

Yeojoo turns to her lover of nearly a thousand years with a glimmer in her eyes. “Well, oppa. This is it. Thanks for bringing me home. “

 

Hyunwoo snorts. She still wants to play out that fantasy apparently. 

 

But who is he to deny of them both some fun? 

 

He leans forward towards Yeojoo and moves her bangs out of her forehead. His lips meet her forehead, a small peck placed right there. The woman’s ears turns red in embarrassment but the corners of her lips turn upwards in glee. 

 

She takes her husband’s hand in hers and directs them to her cheeks, cradling her own face with those large hands. 

 

They’re so warm and comfy, Yeojoo wants to sleep on them. 

 

Hyunwoo watches her play with her cheeks, the plump fat resting in his hands. He laughs at the cute display and Yeojoo really, really wants the night to last longer.

 

Seeing the look in her eyes, Hyunwoo laughs even more. His head throws back and once he composes himself, he stares at Yeojoo in the eye but with gentle and loving eyes accompanied by a wide smile. 

 

“Can I come in for some ramyeon?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you guys know that ramyeon's often used as a euphemism in south korea for a certain something? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a double update ft post-ramyeon

Hyunwoo slackens in Yeojoo’s hold once he feels like it’s over. Though they’ve been making love for centuries now, the aftermath inside still feels weird to him or maybe he just doesn’t like feeling sticky or the feeling of the slick. But Yeojoo adores the feeling so it doesn’t bother him all that much. The vampire doesn’t pull out but remains inside, enjoying the warmth.

The hybrid caresses his hair in soft pets with one hand, the other still clinging onto his sore back full of fresh scars. “Tired?” she pecks him on the lips swiftly before nuzzling their noses together. She loves it. Adores caring for her husband after the act. Likes how he gets all spoiled and soft, loves how he likes being taken care of.

Hyunwoo nods and falls onto her chest, face – first into her breasts. “Your boobs are so soft,” he says looking up at Yeojoo, left cheek squished as he tilts his head. Yeojoo giggles at the ticklish sensation the vampire’s stray hair strands leave behind on her skin. “The power of milk body wash is amazing, you should try it instead of that shower cream you use.”

“You’re just jealous that I don’t have to spend so much for a smooth face,” Hyunwoo remarks. He squirms a bit from his spot and rests on top his wife.

“And you’re just jealous I get to have multiple orgasms.Damn, I wish I could get this as Kihyun too. But a G-spot up my ass is amazing too. Now, get off you heavy bear,” Yeojoo pushes off Hyunwoo’s face with her palms and nudges him off with her knees. The man juts his lips out in a sulky pout but obliges anyway. He lets go of Yeojoo’s petite figure from his hold.

Looking down at where they’re connected, he thinks for a while. “Do you wanna keep it in?” Yeojoo nods furiously and lifts her hips up before the older pulls out and immediately covers her folds with her hand. At how fast her reaction is, Hyunwoo lets out a chuckle “You’re shameless, absolutely shameless. What would Hyungwon say?”

The other just grins. “Would it really be a surprise? Lee Minhyuk is a thing,” she wiggles her eyebrows and Hyunwoo laughs. He searches for a familiar toy under their shared bed, ignoring their scattered clothes and once he does, he hums in satisfaction. Yeojoo looks over, curious as to why her husband’s humming happily and when she sees a block of orange she knows all too well, she squirms excitedly.

Hyunwoo rolls his eyes and holds onto Yeojoo’s ankles, locking them together with one hand and the other hovering the toy over the wet folds. When the toy inches close to her skin, the woman grins widely showing off a pretty smile that makes Hyunwoo feel giddy on the inside the same he did back when they were on dates in Goryeo’s markets. Yeojoo’s flushed face full of sweat is as pretty as her face when she’s out of the shower, when she’s cooking, or when she’s playing with their kids.

He slides the toy in easily with the help of the mixture of lube and both of their orgasms and the hybrid shakes a bit. When it’s comfortably settled inside, she kicks Hyunwoo’s hand off and drops her legs onto the bed. Hyunwoo huffs but doesn’t say anything else. The woman rolls to her side, facing Hyunwoo’s side of the bed and eyes him.

“Cuddle me, “ she demands leaving no room for the man to argue.

The man obeys and slides underneath their thick blanket, throwing over the other half to cover his wife’s naked figure. Yeojoo nuzzles into his side right away and her hands litter over his arm.

“Sometimes, I think you’re a succubus. So clingy and needy,” Hyunwoo comments. It’s not an insult, but something he’s been saying over the centuries. Yeojoo herself doesn’t know either, her memories long wiped out by whoever left her there and would take the thought into consideration at times. “Can succubus even change their bodies? Is that the phoenix part of me? Maybe, but can we think about that later? Right now, I just wanna stuff my face into your beef, “ she pinches and kneads the muscle, amused at how big they are.

Hyunwoo lets her have her own fun while he’s watching her play with them. He doesn’t understand her fascination with his arms but guesses it’s the same kind of fascination that Hyungwon and Minhyuk have over Hoseok’s. The both of them don’t get it and had long given up on finding why their muscles are so interesting for the three to ogle and touch.

They stay like that for a while basking in the serenity of it all. It’s a comfortable silence where they don’t talk. Don’t need to. They know each other’s habits and traits, the meanings of each touch.

“I miss this.” Yeojoo admits.

Hyunwoo hums, unsure of what to say.but lets the woman continue. “I love Jooheon and Changkyun. I love being their Eomma, I love you being their Appa, and I love the two of us being their parents. But I also love us. Not as a parent couple, but as a couple who’s been together for a really long time, you get me?” she sighs, an index finger tracing circles on her husband’s forearm.

And he does.

It’s nice to spend time with your kids, it’s nice to go out on walks with your spouse. But it’s also nice to go on dates that make you feel young and unstoppable.

There’s a tiny bit of guilt in him for feeling relieved that they didn’t have to act like they have kids back at home and instead get mistaken as a young couple still in university, probably eating ice cream together to get through the final exams.

Yeojoo bites into his flesh the same way Changkyun does when he’s bored and the man lets out a yelp. The hybrid sinks her teeth in even further with a smug look. “Yah!!! Get off, you weirdo!” Hyunwoo tries to push her off but fails. “What’s with you!?”

“I’m just bored.”

“Then play your phone or something! Won’t Changkyun question this?”

“Nope,” Yeojoo declares with an emphasis on her ‘p’. She snickers as Hyunwoo scowls at the bitemark she’s left. In retort, he sulks and turns to the other side with his back facing the hybrid. Yeojoo whines loudly but scoots closer in an attempt to coax her husband out of it.

She perches her chin over his broad shoulders and wraps her arms over his waist, putting him in a tight embrace. “Yeobo, look. My shoulders can fit in between your shoulder blades,” she says. It’s not something new to them, in fact, Hoseok pointed it out years ago. Yeojoo just loves to bring it up every now and then.

“Then I’ll crush you with them?” the vampire suggests, looking over his shoulder to meet Yeojoo’s gaze. It’s Yeojoo’s turn to pout but she hides her face in his shoulders. “Meanie.”

“Hey,you started it!”

“Doesn’t mean you should continue it. Meanie! Jerk!”

Hyunwoo squirms his way out of Yeojoo’s hold then then gets up before attacking the hybrid with tickles at her side. Yeojoo, caught by the surprise, couldn’t escape and struggles trying to get out but Hyunwoo had already imprisoned her with his arms.

The couple laughs and it fills the room with a mellow feel that reminds them of their life before their children came into the picture. It feels like the autumn night they spent huddled in front of a bonfire eating venison, and it feels like the summer evening they had together looking for fruits in the forests. It’s as familiar as the Goryeo spring breeze they felt when they were engrossed with the blooming flowers, and as warm as each other’s hand when they had their dinner at Han River even thought it was the first snow.

And they love it.

They love how raw it is. How vulnerable they are. How there’s nothing to hide. Yeojoo loves how playful Hyunwoo gets unlike the image of a robot he often shows in public, and Hyunwoo loves how committed she becomes even when she's nagging his ears off. When it’s a mundane routine of combing one another’s hair or picking out an outfit of the day before going to work, even if it’s just welcoming the other home after a long day at work and their kids are whining about how long it took for their parent to come home so they could eat dinner, their hearts still swell with the same affection they’ve planted long ago.

It’s not something they take for granted, but it’s something they hope for all of eternity.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a mundane first meeting.

The first meeting was nothing short of ordinary. 

 

Hyunwoo found contentment in strolling along the rows of shops in the morning market. 

 

It was his morning routine to join Hoseok on a walk every day, to etch the boisterous crowd’s liveliness in their memories before hopping to the next town. Somedays the sea whispered in Hyungwon’s ears and the man would go along with for the chance of prawns for dinner. 

 

The chatter of the townsfolk rang in Hyunwoo’s ears but he plainly ignored them in favour of chatting up with the vendor. 

 

His eyes gleamed over the vegetables taking in the sight of fresh green leaves tempting him as dinner. Hoseok looked over wanting to help the older in cooking up their dishes. 

 

The goblin? He wandered off. 

 

Hyungwon never needed to eat so, he never bothered to cook. It wasn’t as if the other two would let his disastrous pitiful attempts repeat themselves again. Not after almost costing them Hyunwoo’s taste buds and life as a mortal vampire.

 

He didn’t stray far from the pair, opted to greet the other vendors and said his hello’s to the passersby all around him. 

 

“Sir! Good morning!”

 

“Hello, Jeon-ah. Good morning, Eun-ie,” chipper, Hyungwon waved at the two children calling his name from the balcony of their parents

 

Perhaps that was his fault. 

 

His eyes were locked onto the children even as he walked, his ears didn’t even register the kids’ watch out! until he bumped into someone. 

 

Dding

 

Hyungwon’s eyes steeled, the dark brown hue turned into bright golden irises in shock the moment they collided. 

 

The goblin focused on the man - a mere centimetre shorter than him with rounded ears, slightly filled lips jutted out in a cute pout. The man blinked unevenly as he tried to regain his bearings. 

 

But there was something different about him. 

 

Goblins always had a tell when it comes to beings. He knew Hyunwoo was a vampire albeit a weak one in comparison to how a pureblood should be, by just looking at him. He figured out Hoseok was a grim reaper at the get-go without needing to see the man in action. All that was needed was a first meeting. 

 

Humans made him feel nothing. 

 

And the man he just knocked into set him off. 

 

Yet, he couldn’t tell what the shorter exactly was. 

 

Hyungwon backed away in a second, fists clenched at his side as he muttered his question. “What are you?”

 

The man left puzzled tilted his head in confusion, not understanding what the goblin’s demanding. 

 

“You’re one of us,” he tried once more.

 

A chime of bells rang past him but oboivious to all except his ears. 

 

The other visibly stiffened. He sent a frown in Hyungwon’s way and the taller couldn’t argue with the treatment. It wasn’t exactly toned politely. 

 

The man looked around, the need to ensure no nosy ears could hear their words encouraged him.”Formalities of our kind demand a name above all as a sign of submission and peace, do they not?”

 

Out of hostility, Hyungwon straightened up with a forced smile. “My sincere apologies. My name is Hyungwon, a former warden of the Chae family,” he bowed with his answers. 

 

The man returned his smile with the same expression but of slight sincerity in his actions. “I am Minhyuk of the Lee clan from the North. It’s a pleasure to know there are others.”

 

At that answer, Hyungwon sighed in relief.

 

“I see.”

 

The North didn’t refer to the literal north, but the territory of beast deities and beings. Roamed by strays but conquered by the strongest, the Lee clan made a home for themselves in the region as the latter. 

 

Hyungwon heard stories about the pack. 

 

They weren’t rough nor were they aggressive. Wolves that would never bite or growl if you were just to pass through their territory. 

 

But because they were of phoenix blood as well, they sprung back to life no matter how many times you killed them. There was never a need for an army. There was never the need to breed for prosperity. 

 

But a life is a life no matter how many you have. And always, you’d be better off standing against an army of mortals than a single one that’s near-immortal. 

 

As long as he ended his meeting with this one - Minhyuk on good terms then the goblin wouldn’t have to worry about anything. 

 

“Seems like you have an idea of what I am already. Say, when you say a former warden of the Chae family do you perhaps mean that you are the Goblin spurred from the bloodied sword of their youngest whom perished in a battle? The Chae family that was destroyed a decade back?”

 

Hyungwon winced. 

 

“That was painfully specific, but yes, I am the one you speak of. How did you even know all of that?”

 

Minhyuk laughed. “Fairies. They need to spend their time with better things to do than to watch people stab each other to death. Morbid creatures.”

 

“I agree. My last encounter with a bunch of them was in a forest. They were poking fun and demanding more tearing than stabbing while watching someone getting murdered!”

 

The werewolf gagged. 

 

“Why were you there?”

 

“A friend is a grim reaper. He gets too attached so his superior asked me to watch over until he has a better hold on the role,” he explained. The memory was too laughable for him to forget even if he was told to ignore how embarrassing it was. 

 

Minhyuk hummed his acceptance. His stature slackened once he sense no malice coming from the taller man.

 

“Minhyuk!”

 

Hyungwon peeked. 

 

Dding

 

A man shorter than him by more than half a head popped behind the wolf’s back. Though he was tiny and his clothes seemed to engulf him whole, the man terrified him. 

 

Do short people have more anger in them because it’s less distributed? Is that even a thing? 

 

The shorter man pulled Minhyuk by the ear, pinching it red and downwards so hard that the older bent forward. The wolf shrieked in pain. 

 

“Oi! That hurts!” he yelped trying to push the other off to no avail. 

 

“That’s what you get for leaving me behind!”

 

“I didn’t! Not my fault you’re too small to see me!”

 

“I hope you choke on cow testicles.”

 

What in the world…? 

 

“Uhm… my apologies but this doesn’t seem to be the place to bicker,” Hyungwon pointed out. Half of him was embarrassed and the other half was questioning why should he when they were still strangers? 

 

The shorter man blinked. He let out a gasp then let go of Minhyuk’s ear. “My name is Kihyun,” the man bowed. 

 

Like Minhyuk, Hyungwon felt the phoenix soar scattering all around Kihyun’s being but unlike Minhyuk, he couldn’t tell what the other exactly was. 

 

He bowed in return, offering his own name. 

 

Minhyuk smiled. A bit forced, Hyungwon can tell but by an untrained eye, it would’ve seemed genuine. 

 

Practised. 

 

“Kihyun here is my wife’s brother. We’ve been friends growing up since our boundaries were near. That’s how I met my wife,” Minhyuk chuckled yet his eyes, Hyungwon stilled, had flashed a vibrant gold aggravated by flames of red pupils. 

 

“Funny how we’re bounded by human customs, makes you think, doesn’t it?”

 

Cautiously, Hyungwon nodded. He took another look at Kihyun who scowled at the taller man next to him arms crossed in irritation. 

 

There was a water he’d like to tread but the time was not then. 

 

“Hyungwon, we’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

 

He turned around startled by the sudden familiar voice. Hyunwoo and Hoseok’s faces were flushed red with exhaustion and sweat and the goblin felt a prick of guilt for straying far. 

 

But why were the chimes so loud? Why did they sing about so excitedly as if the wind spirits were celebrating? 

 

Hyunwoo noticed the other two. “Ah, hello,” he bowed shyly. Kihyun laughed at how cute it was for a large man to act as such nevertheless he returned his own all the while kicking Minhyuk’s shin to do the same. 

 

“I am Hyunwoo and this is Hoseok. I take it you’re one of us?” the vampire asked unabashed. Flustered, Hoseok punched him lightly.”You can’t just ask that here.”

 

Minhyuk laughed. “That’s alright. You weren’t being loud.”

 

Hyunwoo exhaled. “My apologies. Was Hyungwon bothering you?” “Hey! I did not!”

 

“Not at all. We were just out on an errand. Yeojoo, my wife and his sister, is nearing that time of the month! She’s an omega so her heats…,” Minhyuk laughed. Kihyun’s cheeks heated up, his ears turning pink as Minhyuk trailed off his words. 

 

He pinched the other in the forearm. “Why did you tell them that, stupid!” the younger shrieked in embarrassment. 

 

“Eh, but…”

 

“I will kill you when we get back. Just you wait and see.Stab you with cucumbers and see if you like that. “

 

Hyunwoo, the conditional pacifist he was, panicked. He stepped in between trying to settle the oncoming crash of waves but Kihyun was ready to fume and Minhyuk had no intention to stop. 

 

Taking the chance, Hyungwon elbowed the reaper in the side and earned a grunt. Before the older could curse at him, the goblin leant forward to whisper in his ears before the three could notice. “Are they to be trusted?”

 

The older whistled, eyes trained onto the men in front. He saw their necks tied together by a woven thread where Minhyuk’s refreshing green end transitioned into the calming orange of Kihyun’s then drifted to their fingers. 

 

Thick strings knotted at their fingers, each leading to another homed at his fingers. Blue, purple, and red threads finding their ways to the three opposite, the goblin’s heart sang. 

 

The blood red had tied to his own joints, but of a warm yellow glow he long recognised as a strong friendship. The purple strand found its way to Hyungwon’s thin, long fingers with the same glow and he laughed at how worried the goblin was being even though their future would be more than fine. Woven blues tied their fates to Hyunwoo’s with no hint of a broken hope. Each strand seemed new and clean - a future he could look forward to. 

 

Yet, despite the colours they shared, Kihyun’s blue had a raging crimson glow. 

 

The corners of his lips curled with glee. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well... sorry for the wait! ;___;
> 
> and to be honest, this one is quite boring and half of the time i cursed at how formal the olden times were because of the hierarchy system dictating how people should talk to each other and because of the speech, the rest of the chapter were written like my assignments.
> 
> i wanted it to be fun! and casual! and short! like the previous chapters! but i underestimated the hierarchy system once again. and it will be haunting me until i'm done with all of the ones that took place ages ago in the past. 
> 
> originally, there were other drafts with one of hyunwoo caring for baby jooheon but that didn't work out due to me being stress while writing it so i got stumped big time. the other one was kihyun being a little shit. and another one having changkyun's backstort as a plot but that would be a bit early so i bit the bullet and went for the first meeting so i could get rid of the boring part quick.
> 
> ngl it was stressful but like i said, i bit the bullet. whatever comes out, will come out. if i can't do anything more or better with it then i'll just have to leave it as it is and then i can finally move on with the fun ones. 
> 
> because dude, first meetings are often mundane. i know jack shit about the future but all the amazing relationships i've had so far started out with an ordinary meeting. 
> 
> jiayou to myself and thank you everyone for suffering with me :'3


	9. Chapter 9

Hyunwoo comes home cradling a bundle in his arms, all wrapped in soiled white cloth. 

 

Normally, Kihyun wouldn’t think of it as anything much because Hyunwoo picks things up if it’s something amusing to him. An old habit of his that he never got rid of even though it’s been the 21st century for over two decades already. 

 

But this isn’t normal.

 

Because Hyunwoo’s cradling whatever he has in his hold very gently and not carrying it the way he usually does, as if he’s holding an injured animal. 

 

“What’s that?” Kihyun questions hesitantly. He traces the silhouette of the bundle with a gaze and the shape makes him nervous. He’s seen the shape before in a parent’s arms.

 

Hyunwoo has the decency to look sheepish. He shuffles a bit but decides that it’s better now than later.

 

“It’s a baby,” he walks over to Kihyun, bouncing the sleeping child lightly. When he reaches his husband, the man uncovers the bundle and Kihyun melts.

 

The baby has full lips like Hyunwoo does and round cheeks full of baby fat that would wither away as he ages. The crown of his head is lightly covered in thin hair and his skin red like a newborn welcomed into the world just moments ago.

 

Despite how sweet the baby seems, Kihyun couldn’t help but feel like there’s something else to him.

 

Hyunwoo notices the confusion on the younger’s face and laughs. 

 

“He’s a nymph.”

 

Alarmed, Kihyun’s eyes widen at the child. Panic sets in.

 

The vampire sighs. Why is his husband such a worry-wart? He’s a vampire, not a dumb human who assumes everything goes their way. He knows of the world’s Laws especially theirs. 

 

Before Kihyun sets off to summon Hyungwon, he takes out a fresh stem cutting from his pocket. “I found his sapling but it was dying. The fae came and showed me him,” he explains, passing the stem to the younger. Kihyun looks at the cutting and strikes of sadness hits him. 

 

The poor stem was yellow at some parts, nearly brown and its small leaves curling inwards, wilting away. Evidence in the form of clawed marks found littered all over. 

 

Anger comes down in a form of a growl but Kihyun knows better than to mess with the faes.So he swallows it down like a bile, the bitterness burning and coursing through his throat. 

 

Kihyun swears he can hear the faes’ cackling at their little play. 

 

He had always hated those bastards - abandoning all that comes as disposable in their care. 

 

The baby stirs and squirms but doesn’t rouse from his sleep. He curls even deeper in Hyunwoo’s hold and the hybrid coos at how cute it was. It’s like the infant knows how reliable his husband is. 

 

“Kihyun-ah.”

 

The man breaks his stare and looks up. He slips a finger in the child’s hand, now clenched as a small chubby fist and it amazes him how his was wholly swallowed by an entire hand. 

 

In his husband’s gentle gaze, he seeks the unspoken words. Hyunwoo had never been a man of much words; blunt and straight to the point. Beating around the bush is the core bane of his existence. But while he’s swimming in those gentle eyes, he finds a grip on the pleading curved lips that for once doesn’t let the elephant stomp its feet around. 

 

Kihyun knows he married a simple guy. Doesn’t matter if Hyunwoo’s face doesn’t spend most of the day in either a blank expression or on a neutral ground; he’s an open book. Never vocal but always, always on the sleeve. 

 

He knows that the Law acts on reasons it finds sense in and that the faes are just messengers even if they act more like gremlins. 

 

Knows better than to push the request away. 

 

So Kihyun does the deed instead. He’s heard of how the Law works, how fate can be cruel yet a blessing to their kind. He’s been told by Minhyuk’s family of the Law and its handiwork. 

 

He leans down just a centimetre away then presses a soft kiss onto the baby’s forehead. His skin is soft, he notes, and a petrichor scent takes him back to reality. 

 

The baby is a nymph and nymphs cannot live on their own. And this lone nymph is the Law’s gift to them. 

 

The nymph isn’t just a baby. It’s their baby.

 

x

 

“Ki, does Jooheon hate hyung or something?”

 

The man sighs. 

 

Really, he wonders what went wrong but at the same time he knows that Hyunwoo is painstakingly awkward with kids despite their friends calling him Appa as a joke for years and that he reminds them of a dad on the weekend. 

 

He was the one to find Jooheon and yet the man’s been keeping his distance from the child looking downcast with slumped shoulders and growing mushrooms on himself whenever Kihyun sees him. It’s not that Hyunwoo doesn’t try, it’s that it gets even worse when he forces it out of himself. Kihyun tried to tell him that it can come naturally - the instinct to nurture and care and that forcing it out would make it insincere and empty but Hyunwoo argued back that if he didn’t force himself to do it, he’d barely progress. 

 

“Hyung’s hyung. He’s trying but it’s like eggshells whenever he helps out with Jooheon,” the man explains. Minhyuk hums in understanding. He grabs Jooheon’s hands and clasps them together and blows a raspberry. 

 

The baby giggles. 

 

“How does he even play with Jooheon? I barely did anything and this baby’s already giggling like there’s no tomorrow. Babies are easily entertained. Heck, I can barely smell hyung’s scent on him, this calls for drastic measures Yoo Kihyun!” the alpha declares. 

 

Aware of the consequences, Kihyun groans. He has a plan in mind, one that he’s been thinking of for the past few weeks but the anxiety gnaws at him at the possibilities ahead so Hyunwoo doesn’t know. 

 

Still, he brings it up to his best friend. “Min, remember that one time you said you wanna go to Jeju for a week? Visit the Kim estate? How about we go there?”

 

Minhyuk goes ‘eh?’ puzzled at the sudden question. “What about Jooheon? He’s still too young to go to the Kim estate. Plus, the kid’s a nymph.Their territory is like a heaven for the emos. ”

 

Kihyun brings up an index and wiggles it. His smile spreads into a grin and dimples dent his cheeks. “Just us, Min. Hyunwoo will care for Jooheon for a week. Think about it. Like those dramas! Lots of bonding time for them and my back’s been killing me. I need some of that Kim witchcraft in my spine, I feel like my age,” he complains. Minhyuk snorts. 

 

The idea’s good. A win-win situation that Hyunwoo can’t afford to pass up and an opportunity for Kihyun to enjoy some well-deserved me time. 

 

He just hopes nothing goes wrong. 

 

x

 

They’ve discussed it a week ago and the phoenix hybrid immediately planned the whole trip and his husband’s schedule. 

 

The vampire’s company office has a daycare on one of its floors equipped with specialists and trained personnels but Jooheon’s a quiet baby. Hyunwoo bought a crib for his office and Jooheon’s potted sapling sits his work desk. There isn’t much to do with a baby nymph after all; as long as Hyuneoo waters the plant itself and tends to it, Jooheon would remain a peaceful baby. 

 

That still doesn’t settle Kihyun’s nerves. 

 

Minhyuk snatches the man’s phone away. “Ya, have some faith!” he hisses. “Hyung will do a great job in caring for Honey. Your job is to relax.”

 

Kihyun wants to argue but Seokjin beats him to it. “You need to trust him more, you can’t take everything from Hyunwoo,” he says, stirring a pot of honeyed water infused with herbs. It smells sweet and the mage smiles. Seems like there’ll be a rain of good fortune coming their way. 

 

The phoenix groans. It’s not that he doesn’t trust his husband with the housework and the childcare ( for one thing, Hyunwoo cooks way better than he does and caring for a baby nymph is literally caring for a plant), Jooheon sleeps all day and night only waking up at noon to bask in the sunlight. 

 

Jooheon is a mama’s boy and it didn’t help that Hyunwoo couldn’t bond well with the kid up to the evening they left for Jeju. The Kims’ home was well out of reach hidden away in some magic dimension or whatever plus the family’s magic mirror didn’t sit well with the vampire. How are they going to make through the week? 

 

Or worse, how is he going to survive? 

x

 

When Kihyun comes back, he drops both of his bags the moment he enters the living room ecstatically. “Yeobo! Jooheon! I’m back!”

 

Hyunwoo’s head sticks out from the couch and he waves. Ditching his luggage Kihyun runs for the living room with opened arms and plops himself onto the larger man. He takes a sniff of his husband’s scent and sighs. “How did it go?”

 

The older rests an arm over Kihyun’s back. “Good, nothing drastic happened except that I kinda knocked over the pot,” he points to the brown plastic pot housing Jooheon’s sapling. Kihyun follows his finger but his eyes lay on his baby snoring peacefully on the playmat. 

 

Grinning, he crawls over to the infant and pokes the child’s cheek hard. “Honey, honey. Eomma’s back.”

 

The baby’s eyes slowly open. Jooheon trembles a bit, eyes blinded by the sunlight but he lets out a loud cry and starts punching Kihyun’s finger away with his tiny fists. 

 

 

“It’s me, baby. It’s Eomma,” the man pouts disheartened by the reaction. He feels a shift to his right and sees Hyunwoo reaching out to their son. Jooheon notes and turns away from Kihyun trying to grab his appa’s hands. 

 

What? 

 

“Jooheon.” the older says. 

 

The nymph stops sobbing. 

 

“Heon-ah, it’s Eomma. Don’t you miss Eomma? ” Hyunwoo tries. 

 

The boy looks back at Kihyun and starts wailing again. Worse, Jooheon kicks in the air trying to push the hybrid’s face away. He cries out facing Hyunwoo and even punching the playmat to get his appa’s attention so he could get away from the younger man. 

 

What…? 

 

Hyunwoo picks up the baby into his arns and starts to rock him in a cradle leaving a baffled Kihyun on the floor staring at the two. Jooheon stopped crying the moment he feels the vampire’s hands closing in on him and it hits him. 

 

His plan worked too well. 

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was birthed from how funny would it be to have a vampire under the sun for an extended period of time. that's counterproductive. that's it

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing a vampire sitting under the Sun.”

 

Hyungwon hides his laugh but his wheezes past through his hand. Minhyuk’s right. The sight of a vampire practically sunbathing is the ingredient to a world crisis. It goes against the Law - how vampires can only get their dose of a different kind of Vitamin D than the one the Sun generously pours each day should they decide to satisfy their libido. 

 

But Hyunwoo was never a child born complied to the Law so those don’t necessarily apply to him. The terms and conditions didn’t align whatnot with him being a considerably weak vampire. He’s kind of glad he is one. Bread is the best thing in the world that Kihyun can’t even rival. He’d rather get his heart shot by torrents of silver bullets than to never eat garlic bread ever again. 

 

Hyunwoo grunts and it doesn’t go unnoticed. “I’m  _ tanned _ .” Jooheon stirs, his chubby, stubby legs kicking a bit but doesn’t wake. 

 

The creases form on his forehead the more the baby’s full lips jut out, probably from frustration at how the Sun isn’t hitting him right. The man scoots closer to the opened window careful to not drop the infant out of his lap. The rays shower the baby in warmth and light, snores following Jooheon’s later still posture. 

 

The Sun does burn Hyunwoo a little, the same way it does to a human with its penetrating rays digging into his skin but to Jooheon, they’re comforting and calming so the vampire endures it for his baby. Even if his eyes do sting and he kinds of want to cry from the cramps in his legs. 

 

Kihyun coos from across the room, a basket of dry laundry resting at his hips. “My baby is cute even when he’s eating. Look at him, getting all that food.”

 

Minhyuk snorts but stifles the loud laugh that’s threatening to burst out of his mouth. The goblin however, doesn’t get it.

 

The confusion must’ve been evident on his face because Minhyuk eventually does rip it out, making Hyungwon’s toothpick legs shake from his slaps that he’s sure to last until the next ten years.

 

“Photosynthesis.”

 

It takes a while for Hyungwon to connect but the stalling is long enough to worry Hyunwoo over the younger’s questionable lifestyle. Had Hyungwon still be alive, he’d probably send himself into a coma just for the sake of it. 

 

When it does hit the goblin, Hyungwon wheezes. 

 

“It’s not even funny.”

 

“That’s exactly why it’s funny.” Minhyuk argues. 

 

Hoseok guffaws. “That doesn’t even make sense! How is it funny if it isn’t funny?”

 

“Proof by contradiction!” Hyungwon weeps dramatically, wiping his slender finger across an eyelid to mock a tearful moment. Pride fills him to the brim knowing the  _ Discrete Mathematics and its Applications  _ textbook sitting on top of his shelf, collecting years of dust isn’t useless after all. 

 

Kihyun pulls a face, one that brings out what Minhyuk affectionately calls his walnut chin. “No. None of that monstrosity in my household. The only maths we need in our life plus, minus, times, and divide.”

 

“What about taxes?”

 

“Taxes are a social construct created by humans  _ for _ humans.”

 

Hyungwon gasps. “Tax evasion?”

 

The idea of the Yoo Kihyun, the most uptight and responsible person he knows (the person who makes sure to vote in each election despite the lack of obligation, the same person who meticulously calculates how much they spent on takeaways) committing tax evasion is like getting hit with a brick in the mouth. 

 

Kihyun knocks the younger on the head with the laundry basket, walnut even more prominent with the creases drawn on his forehead. 

 

“I  _ look _ human, not  _ act _ like one,” the hybrid scoffs. He maneuvers around the tall man carefully keeping the laundry from dropping out as he makes his way to his husband metres away. 

 

Hyunwoo’s eyes are open downcast towards the floor but seemingly undistracted by the bickering. He’s as still as a mannequin but Kihyun doesn’t worry, too used to his husband’s tendency of sleeping with his eyes open. 

 

He nudges the dozing man. “Babe, your turn to fold. I’ll take Jooheon.” Hyunwoo blinks, first seemingly glaring at the floor as he tries to process what Kihyun’s saying, then stares at Kihyun when he still doesn’t get it, his mind still buzzed from an accidental nap. 

 

Kihyu points to the laundry then at his spouse, makes a scooping motion in Jooheon’s direction. Hyunwoo squints, his understanding trickling in slowly. 

 

“Ah. Right.”

 

The younger takes the baby from his husband’s lap and cradles him in his arms. 

 

Compared to the first time, Jooheon’s twice his former size, growing out of his tiny jumpers and could finally fit into those clothing for newborn human babies. He’s still small but his sapling stands proud with evergreen leaves sprouting here and there at his stem. Much like his parents’ growing love for him. 

 

Jooheon whimpers. 

 

“Aa?” 

 

Pretty, shiny slanted eyes gaze at him. The irises are coloured a honey brown. They’re darker than the amber Jooheon had when he was a few days old and sometimes the couple wonders if it’ll turn into a beautiful mahogany. 

 

It doesn’t matter because at the end of the day, it’s still their honey-sweet baby. 

 

Kihyun smiles, dimples under his eyes “Sorry, baby. You wanna lie down?”

 

Jooheon doesn’t answer but the way his face and ears flare to red makes the parent chuckle. “Eomma’s sorry, baby. Don’t cry, you can go back to sleep soon.”

 

His lips tremble but before the tears spill and the wails become loud cries, the baby finds himself liking the feeling of a pillow. 

 

Like a typical baby, his tantrum wills away as satisfaction visits but sleep takes him over once again. 

 

“Babies are so cute. They’re so easy to please, I could make them cry and then bam, do the peek-a-boo once and then they’ll forget I took their candy.”

 

“You’d stoop that low for a candy?” Hyungwon questions. 

 

“You wouldn’t?”

 

“Min, you’re older than the country and you have a  _ job _ .”

 

“Hoseok-hyung, no offence but you threw a tantrum because a baby didn’t wave back.” 

 

The reaper gasps. Babies are impressionable, they _ repeat  _ things. Why didn’t that baby copy his wave? It was justifiable! 

 

The argument’s fueled even more by Hyungwon’s evidence - piled up blackmail from centuries of being Hoseok’s best friend. The turtle backs Minhyuk’s banter and the intensity of it all makes Hoseok even more determined to prove them wrong. 

 

The bickering becomes a sort of white noise to Hyunwoo. Clearly Jooheon’s either as unfazed as he is or the child is in deep sleep to notice. 

 

He stacks the folded shirts on top of another, neatly as how Kihyun likes them. No creases, no peeking sleeves, and definitely no more than 3 folds across the torso. Hyunwoo pushes them aside, right where Kihyun is looking at their son with gentle, nurturing eyes. 

 

His gaze stops at Kihyun’s hands, resting at his abdomen slightly below the navel. 

 

As Kihyun, he doesn’t have them. 

 

But as Yeojoo, it’s a memory that neither wants a repeat of. 

 

Hyunwoo stops his work. He sneaks an arm around the younger’s waist, not tight but a strong grip.He feels the muscle underneath his hold flutter at the sudden move, but relaxes once Kihyun realises it’s just Hyunwoo. 

 

“He’ll be okay. They’re okay. Hoseok made sure of it,” the vampire whispers in a hushed solemn voice. His thumb knees the joints of Kihyun’s hand, a sense of comfort rushing in the younger’s being. 

 

He knows that the child made its way back to Nature’s arms, like every non-human being does when they die. Their very own friend carried the child’s soul to the peace they deserved. 

 

_ It’s okay if we can’t do it, Seokkie. You’re there, so do it for all of us, okay?  _

 

Jooheon is not that child. 

 

They know because Hyungwon would know, and because Hyungwon says nothing of the sort, the child’s not their little sapling dozing on the honeybee cushion. 

 

They’re not replacing their stillborn, no matter how much Jooheon fills the empty void, he can’t take the child’s place. And it’s unfair to treat Jooheon in the shadow of his older sibling, or as the child themselves rather than the baby they fell in love with at first sight. 

 

Kihyun relaxes when Hyunwoo nuzzles his neck, bearing the scars of a vampire’s mate bite across it. 

 

Jooheon miraculous stays asleep, soft snores that hums in the man’s chest. Hyunwoo doesn’t move from his spot, but his large pinky holds their son’s tiny, tiny fist. 

 

It’s amid of this that Kihyun thinks:

 

_ This is home and they’re doing better than okay.  _


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have an immense headache

His first impression of Kihyun was a short list, really: short, chubby-cheeked, cute and fussy (though that was probably Minhyuk’s fault for leaving him behind in the market). 

 

Over the months, the list had grown longer with some of its points changed but most remained the same if not extended. 

 

Hyunwoo finds Kihyun pretty even when his chin protrudes and the wrinkles give him a walnut chin. He isn’t the victim of his nagging, a treatment Minhyuk and Hyungwon get to receive on an occasional basis. Yet, even then the vampire finds the younger’s voice a melodious tune. 

 

Kihyun isn’t a fussy person per say. He’s just detail-oriented and prefers to stick to plans as opposed to Minhyuk’s impromptu ideas and going with the flow. A contrast that eggs the two brother-in-laws on in any bickering they engage in. A recipe consisting of only oil and water. 

 

The younger is a neat person, more organised than all of them combined. 

 

It keeps them in line and proper - making sure they’re living well as they should be. 

 

His first impression of Yeojoo was the exact same list. 

 

Yeojoo has the same round cheeks Kihyun does, and adorns dimples beneath her crescent eyes like her twin does when he’s smiling just as wide. In comparison, they’re both below Minhyuk’s line of sight - something the twins find annoying when Hyungwon points it out. 

She scolds Hyungwon for sleeping right after he eats, and flicks Minhyuk on the forehead for getting their clothes dirty in the same magnitude Kihyun would’ve done. 

 

(He knows because the echo that the impact leaves behind gives him the same shiver.)

 

There isn’t any difference between the identical twins save for the clothes they were and the figures they hold. If they switched lives for a day, Hyunwoo wouldn’t be able to tell who was which. 

 

It’s a good thing they were never in the same place together. 

 

_ It’s a Lee Clan thing. We were raised by them so we’re basically a part of the Lee _ , Kihyun explained before. 

 

Hyunwoo had asked him why. 

 

_ The two of you are never together  _ but figured it wasn’t his place to ask for more, to ask why the Lee do things in certain ways, why Kihyun and Yeojoo went with it. He supposes if you grew up with such a tradition and had no reason to oppose it, then there wasn’t a reason to question it either. 

 

So, he never pressed on. 

 

It irritates him a bit, however. 

 

“Do you need some herbs?” Hyungwon offers. Hyunwoo snaps out of his thoughts uncertain of the goblin’s question. “What?”

 

The lean man stops writing, his gaze locked onto Hyunwoo’s face. “You seemed as if you were ill a moment ago.” His thing fingers latch at the older’s jaw framing it as he scans Hyunwoo’s face from left to right. 

 

“Is it the Sun?” 

 

“What? No.”

 

Hyungwon shrugs. “Who knows, maybe you got stronger.”

 

The sigh that leaves Hyunwoo’s lips urges a snort of out him but the goblin keeps it in. “I would rather be weak and can walk under the Sun than be a strong vampire who dies just by looking at light. Be honest, how is that kind of vampire considered ‘strong’? They perish easily.”

 

The resentment Hyunwoo harbours doesn’t surface on a daily basis, let alone in years. It’s casted aside, swallowed by decades of coping rather than acceptance. 

 

Sometimes -  _ rarely  _ actually, does the feeling take a peek outside. In the sense of jealousy or downright pettiness. Those times are when Hyunwoo’s childish nature comes out to play - moments when the man acts as if he were another person. 

 

He’s right, Hyungwon acknowledges that. 

 

The vampires are odd folks. Hyunwoo included. Hyungwon never understood why they’re divided - why Hyunwoo’s outcasted just for his peculiarity. 

 

He’s just as strong as the other vampires Hyungwon met over the course of his second life.

 

He was just born more  _ human _ . 

 

“Hyungwon-ah.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“There’s something odd about the Lee clan.” 

 

Hyunwoo nuzzles the goblin’s palm. The bony fingers aren’t that pleasant but the comfort of a longtime friend soothes his loneliness. Hyungwon squints his eyes, scrutinising the older. “Are you going to say something bad about them?” 

 

The man shrugs. He doesn’t know if it can be considered as so. 

 

“Kihyun and Yeojoo can’t be seen together. Are you not curious as to why the Lee clan does so?”

 

He pushes away the slender hands. It’s sunny outside but because Spring greeted them just days ago, the supposed warmth of Hyungwon’s humble home cannot find themselves in the room. Still, the way light finds its way past the mass of leaves and blooming of flowers is beautiful. 

 

The beauty of days is how he copes. The miracles that happen under the Sun’s watchful eye is how Hyunwoo found peace with himself. 

 

His desire to be happy with who he is birthed his curiosity to know of other people’s -  _ are they happy? How did they do it? Are they like me? I want to be happy _ . 

 

“I do not think they are wolves either.”

 

Hyungwon doesn’t reply. 

 

“Minhyuk is an alpha and if they were omegas, they’d submit at all those times Minhyuk were angry. 

 

If they were alphas, their bickerings would be bloody. 

 

If they were betas, they’d follow his words like servants rather than equals.”

 

“It is their business and not ours to know, ” Hyungwon stiffens, disliking the the other’s tone full of absolute certainty. As much as the goblin tries to hide it, disguising it as a shiver from the cold Spring breeze, Hyunwoo knew him far too long to know it’s an uncomfortable subject to breach. 

 

_ “You know something.” _

 

The goblin grits his teeth but remembers that Hyunwoo is far older than him. The human norms may not apply to them but they’ve been living among them - pretending, lying to them for centuries. The human culture is deep rooted inside them, especially Hyungwon born human, unwillingly brought back as not. 

 

From the get-go he had sensed something was off about Kihyun. When Minhyuk had dubbed him his brother-in-law, the ringing got louder and louder and  _ louder and louder, it’s a lie it’s a lie it’s a lie but why? why is it a lie? whywhywhywhy why?  _

 

There wasn’t anything bad about them so  _ why did the bells continue to chime?  _

 

Then Yeojoo came. 

 

The bells went off once again. It didn’t matter how much he trusted Minhyuk and Kihyun at that point - there’s an untold story they do not wish to tell.

 

The cooing Minhyuk showers Yeojoo in was no different than the adoration he gifts Kihyun. The glint in his eyes were not that of a mate gazing at his beloved. The colour Kihyun and Yeojoo hold and breathe are the  _ same _ . 

 

_ Minhyuk once visited him at the dead of night when Hoseok is away, when Hyunwoo was in deep slumber, when there are no eavesdropping ears that can hear his whispered secrets. That time, the bells chimed gently almost as if they knew if Minhyuk’s shouldered guilt.  _

 

_ “Please don’t tell anyone. We beg of you.” _

 

_ Hyungwon didn’t understand. Couldn’t fathom why an alpha of such decree, a wolf from the Lee clan would plead at the feet of a goblin with perished family he failed to protect. What does Minhyuk have that he cherished so much that he’s kneeling on his knees on the cold and hard wooden floor of someone who failed his purpose?  _

 

_ Was it because he found out?  _

 

“You’re being a chattermouth. That’s unlike you.”

 

Hyunwoo glares. Hyungwon doesn’t falter. He needs to end the talk. It’s not his place to say, it’s not Hyunwoo’s place to know like this. Asking from him. It was just an accident that the goblin happened to find out. 

 

Hyungwon pours another cup of tea, warm at his touch. “If they do have something to hide, - _if -_ , then it’s not my obligation to say them. It’s theirs. What I know is not necessarily what you should know.” The older hums reluctantly. A scolding from someone decades younger than you doesn’t taste nice. 

 

To other people, the vampire is intimidating. Though he can be under the Sun’s presence, it has always been more of a tolerance than an immunity. Daytimes exhaust him immensely, draining his energy until dusk comes. If Hyunwoo could - Hyungwon’s sure of this - he’d play with children in the afternoons and fish with the men of the village. 

 

But Hyunwoo couldn’t. 

 

The Sun stings his eyes and he doesn’t have the energy to refute Hyungwon. 

 

As much as he does want to spill the secret out and lay it on the table, the goblin mustn’t. Minhyuk is right. None of them knows what would happen, doesn’t know what  _ has _ happened. Hyungwon’s bound to the secrecy the Lee clan burries that he never wished to know. 

 

It was just a coincidence. Just his circumstance. 

 

Just like Kihyun and Yeojoo’s truth. 

**Author's Note:**

> i have an actual plot for this!! but if there's situations that you want me to put them in, go ahead and i'll see if i can fit it in without altering the plot i have in mind!!
> 
> this is more of a stress-reliever which is why the standard of writing isn't really... stellar.... but hey showki stans like me cant be choosers at least we're not eating crumbs anymore ㅠ


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